Not Quite Left 4 Dead
by Airan11
Summary: An infinitely rare and special infected is given the ability to cure, and a girl whose anger can spark a war, flares for justice as she fights for what she believes in, all for a piece of normality in a world hoping to be restored. ZxF Image: Alecyl - L4D Zoey/Deviant Art
1. Stumbling to Safety

"Fire in the hole!" I screamed as I flicked the pipe bomb and threw it into the ravenous horde that was sprinting towards us. My anticipation rose as the pipe bomb blinked red after bouncing onto the cement as the horde followed its shrill beep. It exploded after a second – sending blood and bones scattering in every direction.

I cringed away from the sight as I felt some blood splatter onto my face. The situation was far from over as the ground beneath me began to tremble. My breath caught in my throat as I realised what was coming our way. There was too little time to gather ourselves – our exhaustion was reaching ground zero. I fought the fatigue that stunned me and pulled out my dual pistols, ready for the hungry fight that could very well lead to our doom. I looked over at my group; Francis was ready as his auto-shotgun was pointing in every direction awaiting any sign of the beast that was slowly approaching. Bill was busy putting out his cigarette as he motioned for Louis to cover him momentarily.

I clutched my weapons tightly, until my knuckles were glowing white. My heart sped as the ground quaked, I could feel the sweat crawl down my face and back. I spotted movement from my peripheral vision as the monster finally found us.

"TANK!" Francis bellowed, as all four of us began our gunfire.

The Tank was in our proximity within seconds as it charged through the brick of a once-built wall before roaring, its gigantic and muscular arms flailing uncontrollably. It stopped to pick up a slab of cement that it tore from the road and hurled it towards us – missing Bill by mere inches. The sound of the crushing cement against the brick wall behind us alerted yet another horde.

"Bill! You and Zoey take care of the horde. Francis and I will deal with macho-man over here!" Louis said as he shouted on top of the whales of the nearby Infected.

I felt a sudden wave of hope and adrenaline burst within my veins. We can take them. We've been through worse. There was still a shred of hope left in this apocalyptic hell, even if we were the last humans alive. I looked towards Bill, "Shall we?"

He lit another cigarette, "Ready when you are kid," He pulled out a machine gun and the horde soon lay dead at our feet. They were no match for us… and for my wicked adrenaline. It had taken a while to get used to killing the infected. I knew that they had been just like us – human. But the animalistic snarls and growls as they fed upon survivors was well off human. They retained no such humanity – they were animals, stained, tarnished, infected. Looking towards Louis and Francis, they had the volatile Tank well under control – only until the Tank took a hold of Francis and threw him into a nearby wall – the bricks shattering from the impact of his burly body.

"Francis!" I ran over towards his crumpled body by the destroyed wall. I heard a few final shots before the Tank collapsed onto the sidewalk, a tremor rocking at our feet as it did so. Its body convulsed before remaining still. Francis's body lay beaten against the sidewalk. I slapped his face, trying to waken any sense left in him as I let small tears escape. I dried them out with my hands – I didn't want anyone noticing. The others joined the scene shortly after dealing with a few last straggling infected. Soon after, he opened his eyes.

"Hey darlin'," he smiled at my face – smothered in blood and tears.

"You gonna be alright, Francis?" Louis loaned a helping hand, trying to hold together the huge, stumbling man. That was when we heard the familiar growl of a Hunter. I groaned. Not another episode – surely not tonight. We all needed rest; we were so close to the safe room, only about a street away.

"I think we should make a run for it guys." I said uncertainly, my voice shaking. They all looked down at me, yet nobody disagreed. Even Bill, whose leg was _not_ in a good condition to run in – agreed. We took off at a slow pace, jogging past several shops – the glasses broken and the stores raided to obtain necessary equipment or supplies. I was last in line, supporting the old man and his faulty leg whilst Louis and Francis lead the way. I heard a hacking cough, thus slowing my pace further. I turned to look around me at all of the stores and then to the rooftops. But I saw nothing. Perhaps it was my imagination… At least I hoped it was. We really couldn't deal with a Hunter or a Smoker in such close range when we were almost to our destination.

But my train of thought was halted as the growl of the Hunter was closer this time and more menacing. It was greedily craving for a feast tonight. I distinguished the shadowy outline of the Hunter and watched as it pounced, claws outstretched, as its mouth opened into a scowl, its teeth savagely jagged – ready to sink into untainted flesh. My movements hadn't caught up with my mind as I witnessed the Hunter leap onto Louis. The Hunter was straddling Louis's torso, tearing and shredding through his clothing.

"Get it off! _Get it off me_!" he shouted and screeched. I was worried he would alert another horde of zombies, but that thought skipped my mind as Francis lunged for the Hunter, ripping it off Louis before they both tumbled into the wall. The Hunter growled and snarled at Francis, raking its claws through his clothing – luckily not tearing through his flesh. I took this opportunity to shoot at the Hunter – aiming straight into its hooded face. Bingo.

"Nice Zo," Francis complimented, as he struggled to haul himself off the ground.

"Well I -," That was all that escaped my lips. I was suddenly hoisted off my feet and dangling metres above the ground. The Smoker's tongue tightened against my ribs as I let out a muffled cry. I knew that son of a bitch was somewhere on the rooftops, I should have taken care of it. But the thought was pushed out of my brain as I felt the impact of the tightness against my ribs. I would be really lucky if they weren't broken. I let out another cry, before the force of the tongue diminished and I realised I was falling toward the stone-cold cement.

There was a _whoosh_, and I was safely in the arms of Francis, as a puff of smoke incapacitated my lungs. I coughed, gasping for air. Shit, it hurt like hell. I was sure my ribs were broken.

"You okay darlin'? Thanks for savin' me back there." Francis said as he set me on my feet. I grabbed a hold of his arm for support, as he did the same with mine.

"No, thank _you_," I panted. I breathed in slowly, savouring the oxygen that replaced the toxic smell of the Smoker's stench. My eyes darted toward the group and lastly landed on Louis. My eyes went wide at the sight of his stomach; his flesh was torn from the Hunter's claws. Blood was flowing onto the pavement, creating a pool of blood that the zombies would sure as hell love to snack on.

"Let's hurry. We shouldn't be out in the open – we're too exposed." I took note of Bill's voice as the four of us began to make our way toward the safe room – only metres away. Francis and Bill supported Louis's faltering figure as he clutched at his torn stomach. I lead the group this time, noticing the safe room up ahead. It was hidden in an abandoned, yet safely barricaded sports store. I was too exhausted to take notice of where the hell we were. I focused on the red door, our sanctuary for the next few days. We reached the metal door and Francis pushed it open with all of his might. The sound of the metal clicking caught the attention of a few lonesome zombies that we hadn't seen.

"Get inside! I'll take care of the rest of these blood sucking vampires!" Francis's booming voice pounded throughout the vicinity as I stumbled into the safe room with Bill limping behind me, holding onto Louis, who grasped his tattered abdomen due to the Hunter's claws.

"C'mon Louis, let's get you patched up." I panted as I grabbed one of the health packs off the wooden table and got to work cleaning his wounds. Louis winced. But the job had to be done; we couldn't deal with an infection in any of our injuries or wounds.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, as I took hold of the wire gauze and a bandage and taped him up securely. "Hope that'll hold." I smiled weakly.

"Thanks Zoey. You should get patched up, you've been through a hell of a lot tonight, girl." He smiled as he huffed and slid his way over to the nearest sleeping bag and rested against the wall. I smiled for his concern.

"I hate vampires." Francis muttered as he collapsed against the red metal door. I indulged in the sudden moment of silence and closed my eyes. I steadied my heart beat to a slow and stable pace. It had been so long since we all rested. I lost count as to how many days or even weeks when we last reached a safe room – and the safety consumed us all. I knew each of us would be able to fall into a peaceful slumber after the long period of gore and bloodshed. I opened my eyes and took notice of the others. Louis was out – despite his fatal injury – he was deep in sleep. Bill was struggling to choose between another cigarette – his last one, at that – or to succumb to sleep. Surprisingly, he took the sleep. I was sure he'd smoke another death stick.

I attempted to stand from the chair so I could grab a free sleeping bag of my own until I pressed against my ribs, letting out a whimper of pain. I slapped my hand to my mouth, preventing another cry from escaping my lips as I didn't want to disturb the sleeping men.

"I'm sorry Zo. Let me help you patch it up," Francis offered as he took hold of a health kit and opened up to its supplies. He took a seat by the table directly opposite me. He dragged his chair right over; his body was inches from mine as I examined the close up of his face. But all I noticed were his grey eyes staring deeply into mine.

Coherency slowly stumbled back into me as I glanced away from his gaze. "I don't understand why you're apologising Francis. You saved my life." I said sincerely as I watched him pick up the tape.

"I couldn't see where the stupid infected was. It did a good job of hiding itself, I'll tell ya that. And then just watching you dangle like prey up there, watching you squirm and cry..." he cringed. "So then I tried aiming for the tongue. But it was so hard 'cause I was scared I would shoot you instead." His face was solemn. That was the first time I've ever seen a hint of sadness from Francis. After the long and gruelling months of friendship we've gained, never have I seen him so… vulnerable. He was busy looking down at the tape, whirling it around his index finger. Looking at him, he looked so innocent – despite the infected blood that pooled his white shirt, now slashed by the Hunter's claws. Without even realising what I was doing, I laid my hand against his cheek and smiled. "Thank you."

He looked up at me incredulously and I quickly removed my hand. Both of our faces flushed a brilliant red and an awkward silence fell between us. But it was the pain of my ribs that screamed at me to tape it up. I grimaced, fighting the urge to curl myself into a ball and cower.

"Well uh - I kinda have to uh – tape your torso up and all…" I smiled at his hesitation and I took the tape myself.

"I'll take care of it, Francis. Thanks," I swiftly leapt from the chair – _wince_ – and left into what looked like an employee bathroom. I shut the door and sighed as my cheeks flushed once more. I had no idea what swept over me in that moment… but to caress Francis like that on the cheek was uncalled for. Francis had always been my pal, no matter how selfish or rude he acted in front of everyone. Hope always blazed within Francis, igniting strength and optimism for the rest of us. Without him, I really wouldn't be here alive. I would probably still be dead in my college dorm… or worse, I flinched at the thought.

I took my time to examine the bathroom. It contained a toilet with lack of toilet paper, a – hopefully – working sink and my eyes lit up by the decent shower installed in this place. I guess the government was good for something. It would be heaven if the water system was working. None of us had had a shower for months. My heart picked up at the thought of warm water flooding my hair and back, scrubbing the dirt and grime that all of us had acquired during these strenuous times.

After patching myself up, I was too exhausted to have a shower. The tape helped keep me together and I was sure it would last for one night. I figured I would shower after a long rest. Plus, we wouldn't be moving anytime soon. Both Louis and I needed a few days to heal and collect ourselves for our venture to the next safe house – hopefully taking us closer to the evacuation site. I left the room and entered back into the main room. Everyone had shifted into their sleeping bags – their snores growing louder by the second. I hoped it wouldn't attract the attention of any zombies.

One of us always kept watch; it was what we usually had planned. But hearing all the men snoring only made me want to sleep. My injury wasn't helping and I was on the verge of letting the fatigue take over. Instead, I shuffled into the closest sleeping bag, inviting the warmth and comfort that my body so desperately needed. Stay awake Zoey. What if an infected stumbled across the safe room during the night and killed everyone. It would be all your fault.

But that couldn't be possible. The door was bolted shut, thanks to Francis's might. There was no way an infected could enter. I didn't even understand why I was arguing with myself in my head. I must be going insane. Well hell, we are in a zombie apocalypse. How _can_ you stay sane?

"Goodnight Zoey," I heard the soft tone of Francis's voice. His voice knocked me out of my train of thought as my heart skipped a beat. I thought he was sleeping. But he was keeping watch. I mustn't have noticed his presence when I stumbled back in here.

"Goodnight Francis." I smiled and finally let unconsciousness take over.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys, just a little something I've been working on. **

**Hope you like it. Also, a big thanks to all the people who reviewed and favourited my previous story. It means a lot to me :)  
Anyways, I have the next few chapters ready, but I won't be publishing until I edit a little more.  
Till then, enjoy!**

**Cheers :)**


	2. Nightmare

I woke a few hours later noticing it was still dark outside. I shifted my weight in the sleeping bag and flinched from the pain around my torso. I unzipped my sleeping bag along with my jacket and lifted my white tank top in order to reveal the unspoiled bandages. "Stupid Smoker." I muttered.

I heard Bill's voice from across the room, "How are the bandages holdin' up?" I could distinctly see him lighting a cigarette.

"They'll hold for tonight. Do you want me to take watch?" I offered, I didn't think I would be able to fall back asleep very easily.

"I just took over for Francis. I'll be fine 'til dawn. Get some rest Zoey." He took a puff and sighed before leaning against the wall, keeping watch for any infected that stumbled too close to our safe room. I momentarily looked around for Francis; Louis was still snoring in his tight corner and I noticed an occupied sleeping bag right next to my own. The figure was large and bulky, his breathing was steady and he was looking right at me.

I smiled and slowly slid back down into the sleeping bag and faced Francis. "Bill's right. Get some more rest darlin', I don't like seeing ya all hurt." He shuffled closer towards me, his sleeping bag right up against mine. I felt my breath hitch for a second and then it maintained a fast beat. He reached for my hand, and held it tightly between us. His eyes had closed, and his breathing was slowing. I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to catch me.

* * *

_The rain was hammering against my back as I heard another explosion of thunder. The sky above me was as black as midnight as I stealthily lurked within the shadows of a deserted alleyway. The stench of decay and death was evident throughout the vicinity, but it didn't bother me as I made my way closer to the inhabited street. _

_The street lights were fairly blinding as I pressed my body up against the brick wall, fighting to keep my eyes away from the heated light. I shuffled against the wall until I was at the corner of the street and the alley. I looked into the scene beyond me, as the progressive sounds of screams and snarls were marked by the infected. Chaos was strewn in every direction. Innocent adults and children were attacked by the raging and starving infected as they bit, tore and slashed at the humans. My mind was reeling as I absorbed all of the disastrous images. _

_I grew petrified as a lone infected noticed my awkward presence by the wall. I had no weapons to defend myself or to destroy the soulless beast. He kept my eye contact as I struggled to remain looking into his pale white irises – a look of utter hunger and greed – was imprinted into his facial features. But he did nothing to attack me. He simply wandered on, searching for another victim to savour, as I was left – heart pounding – against the wall. _

_I flicked my head toward the sound of a savaged scream coming from down the street. I momentarily stepped away from the wall to attempt to gain a closer look. An entire horde was ravishing on a single human – the only one left alive in this abandoned street. I had no idea how or why, but my feet drew me closer toward the horde – toward my death. They took no notice of my steadily advancing figure, but only continued to devour the human. _

_Upon reaching the crowd, I examined the sight in front of me. The human was long dead; her face was peaceful despite being torn apart by the infected. The smell of her blood was clouding my thoughts. An unknown emotion swept me as I continued to stare at the girl. My instinct was screaming at me to run away before they finished with her and began to attack me, but I couldn't draw myself away from the display. I bent down and traced my finger along her broken leg, creating a line devoid of her blood. I examined my finger, as her blood was slowly trickling down onto my palm. What I didn't expect was to shove my finger into my mouth – tasting the sweet and salivating scent of her blood. _

_A snarl exploded from my throat, and without intuition, I was the one tearing her leg in two, sucking her blood and consuming her flesh entirely. My clothes, my hands, and as I could feel – my face – was smothered in her blood. I couldn't find it in myself to stop. What was worse is that I didn't _want _to. A wicked grin was cast on my blood stained lips as I prolonged my delicious meal._

_Too busy enjoying my delicacy; I didn't notice that the horde had subsided. Most of them lay dead by my prey and I. That was when a blinding light was shifted upon me. I cringed and tried to free myself from the direct light as I shuffled backwards, slamming against the cemented wall. The light briefly disappeared as I opened my eyes to the sight of three familiar men. Their weapons were raised and Francis stepped closer to me. His expression revealed utter disgust and revulsion. "Die, you fucking vampire!" He pulled the trigger, I let out a piercing scream and the world around me dissolved into nothingness. _

* * *

I woke with a jolt, clutching at the pain in my abdomen as the men all huddled around my shaking and sweaty body. The scene I had woken to only reminded me of the scene I had just disappeared from. Without intellect, I shrieked and sank further into my sleeping bag, ignoring the stabs of pain that resulted from my trembling movement.

"Zoey?" They hesitated, as all three of them seemed to echo at precisely the same moment. There was a second of silence as I heard them shuffle awkwardly.

"Zoey, everything is alright. Come on out now, girl." I bit my lip, despite their cornering; I knew they weren't the same people from my dream. Wait, scratch that._ I_ wasn't the same person from my dream… If you could really call myself a _person_. I was an animal. A monster.

But I realised they were only trying to help. It was getting stuffy inside the cramped bed; all I could smell was the sweat my body had been emanating during the nightmare. I came back toward the bright light of the safe room and encompassed in their concerned looks. Bill, noticing that I was alright, shrugged and left the room. Francis bent down to my level and Louis stood from his position due to his injury.

Francis placed his hands on both of my cheeks and held my gaze. "Zoey, what happened? Did you have a bad dream?" His eyes continued to hold mine, the look of concern and adoration on his face made me blush a deep red.

"I-uh…Yeah. Yeah, it was just some stupid dream." I flapped my hand to signalise the minority of the situation. Francis still hadn't let go, not even when Louis gradually left the room. His gaze still hadn't left mine. It made me feel uneasy. The fact that this man shot me dead frightened me, even if I was infected. But in the end, it was what we had been doing for the past few months. I had to let it go. "Francis, I'm fine. You can let go now." I struggled to say the words as part of me wanted him to hold on, yet another part was still resisting against him.

"Sorry, darlin', I was just worried and all." He let go, but kept his level. I smiled at him. Out of all the men that accompanied me during the apocalypse, Francis was the easiest to get along with. Despite his anger and hate for almost everything in the world, he was… _funny_. Even during the darkest of times, he knew how to make me smile. He was always there for me when I needed him. But now wasn't the right time. I was still afraid of the man that shot me; his cold, cruel grey eyes belonged to a stranger, his clenched jaw was tight and rigid, and the look of pure hatred when he was looking at me was not something I could easily forget.

Francis must have seen the pain twisted on my face because he swiftly left the room. I took a minute to collect myself together and wandered back into the bathroom. After testing the taps to see if the water was working, a stream of water gushed from the shower top. Relief surged through every nerve and muscle. I stripped and took the opportunity to cleanse every scum of dirt and dried blood as best I could. The cold water surged over my body as my muscles unclenched from the tightness they had been undergoing during these tough weeks.

Once I was scrubbing at my pink skin, I closed the taps and dried myself off with the clean towels that were hanging on a shelf behind the door. I looked down at the bundle of grimy clothes that I had left on the floor. I grimaced. I was sure there weren't any clothes in this safe room, but I really didn't want to dress back into the filthy and reeking clothes just as my body was sparkling clean. I scowled and put my tight blue jeans on along with my white tank top. I draped my red jacket over the basin of the shower and went to the sink. Glancing into the mirror, I tied my hair back into a ponytail to avoid it getting into my face, all the while attempting to evade my appearance.

Once finished, I left the bathroom only to smell a draft of food. My mouth watered at the thought and I followed the scent, passed the main room, and into a room – one I didn't realise during the night – that had been crafted to form a kitchen. My eyes caught the sight of Bill and Francis gluttonously eating eggs on toast. Louis was the one left out, he was steadily picking at his eggs.

"Not hungry hey, Louis?" I smirked and took a seat by the uneaten plate that was left for me. I eagerly dove into eggs and toast, ignoring the pains in my stomach as I swallowed the freshened goodness that I've been missing out on for weeks.

"I don't want to push it, not with my stomach torn to shreds and all." I unwillingly stopped eating and glanced at Louis, a smile was playing on his lips.

The rest of the day consisted of us lazing around the safe room. To tell you the truth, I would much rather be out there progressing further to the next safe room. I couldn't stand just sitting here doing nothing. I had to do _something_! But we didn't want to risk ripping open Louis's wounds; it would take a day or two before it would slightly heal, then he would be able to venture out. As for my injuries, I hardly felt the throbbing pain in my abdomen partly because my mind was too busy with other thoughts.

The nightmare was really getting to me; it seemed so real and vivid that I could almost distinctly _taste_ her blood. I cringed away from the thought. I had never been into cannibalism, even in movies, especially with horror being my specialty. But this is the world we currently inhabit. Cannibalism was the focal core of our world. I felt like there was no escape, like we were trapped here, attempting to escape but never succeeding.

I looked toward the group of men, toward my family. Louis was resting against the wall holding his stomach, as he was slowly drifting back off to sleep. Bill and Francis were speaking in hushed voices, almost as if they were fighting. I was so used to their babbling and fights that I hardly paid attention anymore. It had always been us four, ever since Francis rescued me from my college dorm he had stayed with me, helping me survive, until we came across two more survivors attempting to fight off a Tank. Ever since that day, we've never been separated. I couldn't imagine this life without any of them. It was too painful to think about losing one of us. An unexpected sense of despair filled me. What if we did lose someone? What if one of us weren't to survive? Or two, or even three? What if I was the one left alone, and everyone else was…

I didn't want to think about that last word. This pessimism really wasn't what I needed right now. I needed to get the hell outta here and do something! That was when I noticed Francis and Bill grasping their weapons and loading them with ammunition. They both noticed me staring at them, a confused expression lingering on my face. "Where are you going?"

"We're going next door to stock up on food. We'll be back within twenty minutes tops. If we're not back then, do _not_ come after us. We can't risk another injury for you or Louis, or worse losing your lives." Bill ordered. I leapt from the floor – the pain hardly bothered me – and I stomped right up to them.

"That's not fair. I need to get the _hell_ outta here. Let me come with you!" I pleaded. They both gave each other a look. I ignored them and grabbed my dual pistols and reloaded them. "If you won't let me come with you," I continued, "Then I'll just have to wait until you two leave, then I'll get the hell outta here myself." I smiled smugly.

"You can't leave Louis here on his own." Francis muttered.

"Then you stay here Bill. I'll go with Francis. Give us half an hour and we'll be back. Please." I added on the end. Please always worked with the guys. I would have laughed, but that would have given me away.

He gave me a cold look. "If you're not back here in thirty minutes, I'm coming after you both, even if I gotta drag Louis with me." He huffed and left the room, grabbing his cigarettes in the process.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys! It makes me really happy to know you guys like it.**

**This is a bit of a slow chapter, but there'll be some action in the next few chapters that'll be fun to write :)  
Thanks for all your kind words and support. It really motivates me to continue writing. **

**Hope you guys like it. Enjoy :)**

**Cheers.  
**


	3. Requited Love

Francis shifted the metal bar aside and opened the safe room door. Anticipation burst within me as I sprinted out of the room, my dual pistols raised as I scavenged the store. "There's no infected in here!" I alerted Francis.

"Would you relax Zo, we're only going next door. Keep it down." He spoke with a hard voice, but I knew he must have been keeping a smile. I ignored his orders and struggled to maintain a steady walk as I skipped down an aisle toward the front door. A sight of clothing stopped me dead on my feet. Jackets, jumpers, polo shirts, shorts, track pants and hiking boots. I smiled with glee as Francis joined me.

"We'll grab some after we get the food." He must have noticed my smile, otherwise he wouldn't have thought twice about obtaining new clothes. I turned around to thank him, but he was right behind me. Even with a smile on his face, I still imagined the stranger from my dream. I fought to avoid cringing against him, so I mumbled something unintelligible and stalked near the front door. He followed me obediently but held me back just as I was about to clasp the door handle. "I would usually say ladies first, but in a situation like this I think its best if I go first darlin'." I forced a giggle as he shoved open the door and peered into the open night. We had already gone through a whole day locked up in that safe room. No wonder I was going nuts.

"It's deserted." He whispered. I stalked out after him and raised my pistols, trying to spot any miniscule hint of movement evident in the street. But there was nothing. I didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

We stopped just outside the doorway of the grocery store. Francis turned around to face me, "We're only going to spend about fifteen minutes in here. I know we don't exactly have the time, but we can't hang around for too long without attracting any unwanted attention." I nodded as he pushed open the door. Part of me waited for an alarm to screech throughout the store so we could have some action around here, but that would most likely lead to our deaths.

I resumed stealth mode as I stalked aisle after aisle, shooting a few of the common infected dead. Along the way, I grabbed at what I could, most of it was canned food and bags of chips that would most likely be stale, but I would eat anything in this situation. Francis was in the aisle to the left of me as I heard his voice struggling to say something. I ran down the end of my aisle and left into his as I saw a Smoker's tongue twisted around his neck, the Smoker was on the opposite end of our aisle, attempting to drag him closer to his death.

I sprinted up to Francis as he was fighting to rip the tongue off his neck. "Hold on!" I shifted my weight onto my knees to get a better aim and pulled the triggers as the bullets ripped through its chest and face. The Smoker let out a struggled sigh and exploded in a cloud of thick smoke and fog that incapacitated my lungs. I darted back to Francis and untwisted the tongue before collapsing onto the floor with a sigh. All I could feel was the bruising in my stomach… maybe it was a good idea to stay put in the safe room. I looked up and down our aisle, as the last few infected in the store were sprinting towards us. I took the right and Francis took the left as we finished them off effortlessly.

"Next time," He panted, "We kill every vampire first, and then we get the shit we need." He joined me on the floor, sitting opposite me as he leaned against the haphazard products. I avoided his gaze and kept my eyes to the floor, noticing all our items left scattered along the linoleum.

"We should get going. We could have drawn attention outside." I stood slowly, grasping the stand of the aisle to support my weight. Francis still remained on the floor.

"Why don't you look at me no more?" He said.

"What?" I whispered as I spun my head in his direction, taking in his pained look.

"I said, why don't you look at me no more?"

_Because you shot me. _

"I do look at you." I whispered again.

"No you don't. You avoid talking to me, or even smiling at me!"

_Because you shot me._

"I'm talking to you now." I said, strengthening my voice.

"That's 'cause I'm directly asking you questions. You just seem so cold around me, and I wanna know why." He stood up this time.

_Because you shot me._

"I'm not being all cold around you." I scolded.

He walked right up to me and bent down, glaring into my face. I flinched. "Oh. Really?"

_He shot me. He shot me. He shot me. _

"You know it all started after that nightmare you had. Did I have anything to do with your dream?"

_Yes. You shot me._

"What… no!" I didn't dare move away from him.

"Then what the _hell _is going on Zo! What have I done?"

_You shot me. You shot me. You shot me._

"You haven't done anything." I whispered.

"Bullshit." He reached to place his hand on my cheek. "Tell me what's goin' on Zo. I'm worried about you."

_You shot me. _

I knew it was right to tell him. I also knew it wasn't fair to treat him like this. He wasn't at fault; I was just making a big deal out of the situation. I knew the real Francis wouldn't want to hurt me like that. He would understand, and he could even help. I sighed. "Okay."

His eyes lit up. "Yeah?"

"But not here. Not now. I think we have some trouble up front. We wouldn't want Bill dragging himself out… along with Louis." I actually smiled up at him.

He smiled back down at me. "Let's give these bloodsuckers a show."

We stumbled and picked up our new belongings and went to the front of the store. Yes, we had attracted attention, but not enough to get us both killed. I grabbed two bags from the register counter and placed everything inside. Francis leaned just beside the door and waited until I gave him the signal. I smiled and nodded as he opened the door to the ravenous infected that lurched inside. I shot from the counter, my aim was beyond perfect as I caused five headshots and seven in the chest as Francis helped finish them off. After killing the last infected, we shut the grocery store behind us and stealthily snuck back inside the sports store.

Francis marched right up to the safe room door with the bags just as I grabbed pieces of each clothing before we entered the room.

"Took your time." Bill grunted.

"We got into some trouble." I responded as I set the clothes on the wooden table.

"Here's the food old man. You're cookin' tomorrow." Francis guffawed before settling down onto a sleeping bag. I knew I wouldn't be able to delay telling him, so I spread the clothes out and soon after I joined him on the floor.

"That was kinda fun." He smiled and put his arm around me.

"Yeah." I agreed. "I needed to get the hell outta this place. Thanks for letting me come along." We were both silent for a minute.

"You wanna tell me what the dream was about?" I didn't look up at him, instead I nestled into his chest and he hugged me tighter.

Where the hell do I start with this? I didn't want to remember the vivid dream, but I already promised to tell him. I couldn't go back on my word; I wasn't that kind of person. But we had to clear the air between us, things were getting shaky. I sighed and started, "I was… I think I was infected… because the infected weren't attacking me. They were killing all of the humans that were trying to escape. But there was this one girl with an entire horde all around her. I bent down 'cause I would have tried to save her but…" I stopped for a second and gathered my thoughts. I didn't want to run through every single piece of information, so I cut it down to avoid my own breakdown. "Instead, I tasted her blood. I ripped her apart and ate her flesh." I felt Francis flinch as he held me tighter. "The sad part was… I actually liked it. And I couldn't stop. I know what you mean now when you call them vampires." I tried to emit a laugh out of him, but it was as if a part of him was dead next to me.

After a minute he replied. "Zo, I'm sorry to hear that." He bent to kiss my greasy hair.

"That's not all." I regretted opening my mouth. Stupid, stupid, _stupid._

Yes. Zoey _tell_ him. "You, Bill and Louis found me on the street and your guns were raised." I choked and caught a breath to continue on, "I don't know if you guys actually realised or knew it was me, but you shot me dead." I whispered the last part as a tear trickled down my cheek.

"I'm so sorry Zoey. You know I would never do that though, right?" He shifted me around so I could look into his eyes.

"But I was infected. It was the right thing to do."

"No Zoey. I couldn't kill you. That's not the right thing to do. There's no way in hell I could do that to you." He bent down and kissed my forehead. I blushed a blood-red. I looked into his face and I knew he was telling the truth. We stared at each other for endless minutes as the night wore on. Bill must have limped back in as I could hear a second muffle of snores protrude from him.

Francis saw me eying the men. "I think its time we slept. You need to rest." He caressed my cheek.

I grunted. "You're the one who was almost choked to death, stupid. You need the rest." I joked as he grabbed another sleeping bag.

I felt a shiver crawl down my spine and I leapt from the floor and took hold of a red jacket that looked similar to my own. Upon placing it on, I stumbled back towards Francis in the darkness, trying to reach for him. My hands came across his sculpted chest, and my heart did a somersault. I knew I would have normally let go, but in this circumstance I kept my hands where they were and reached all the way around to his back and pulled him in for a tight hug. His powerful arms enclosed around my waist as he picked me up and held me.

"Um, Francis…"

"Hold on." He chucked and set me down into an open sleeping bag. I giggled as he joined me and covered us both. Francis had somehow set up the sleeping arrangement so that we could gather warmth from the both of us, as well as the sleeping bag that covered us as a blanket.

"How did you…?"

"It's all in _Sleeping Bags for Dummies_ darlin'." He pulled me closer so that I was inches away from his face, as the rest of my body hugged his body perfectly like a jigsaw piece. Francis grabbed the back of my head and pulled me closer until our lips touched. He kissed me softly and tenderly as his hand slowly slid down my neck and ran along my back, igniting goose bumps along the path he had touched.

I lifted my hand and caressed his back, digging my fingernails in as the kisses became deeper and as we hungered for more. Our breaths were ragged as we stopped for a minute, trying to steady our breathing as to not disturb the others. They were both snoring as loudly as they had been prior to Francis kissing me. I couldn't help but laugh.

Francis held me tighter, "You're not going anywhere," he whispered into my ear. It tickled and sent a shiver throughout my body.

"Don't let me go anywhere then," I kissed him one last time before he cuddled me closer and held me throughout the night.

I woke to the sounds of cutlery scraping against the china plates as well as a rumbling vibration that I felt behind me. I opened my eyes and noticed Francis's arm locked around my waist. I smiled and sat up, groggily taking in the scene in front of me. Bill and Louis were both eating into their beans on toast as I realised they had been watching their own display of Francis and I cuddling. They both noticed I was awake and mumbled something to each other, both chuckling. I felt my cheeks redden as I turned away.

The rumbling increased behind me as Francis sat up next to me, "Could you two keep it down! Some people are _trying_ to sleep!" His eyes shifted towards mine and he smiled, "Well, good morning darlin'." I smiled back as he grabbed a hold of my hand.

"You two better get a move on. Grab something to eat and load your weapons. We're getting out of here."

"What time is it?" I asked as I jumped from the sleeping bags and pulled on my grimy converses.

"It's about late afternoon. We should get a head start just before night falls and hopefully aim to make it to the next safe room before morning in two days." Bill grabbed the town map and examined it carefully. I grabbed a can of beans and toppled them onto my toast. Okay, so it wasn't quite nutritious or appetising, but it was all that would take to satisfy the hunger I planned to replenish.

"How're you feeling Louis?" I asked.

"Not fully healed. But girl, I'm definitely ready to kill some zombies!"

We waited until the sun was low enough so we wouldn't be as easily detected by the zombies. Bill assumed the next safe room was almost twelve blocks away, which we could easily cover within a day if we didn't stop to rest, or if we didn't run into any trouble…

"Clear?" Bill grunted.

"We're good to go." I sounded as I turned the corner into a deserted street. I lead the way with Bill behind me, and Francis and Louis watching the back. We'd steered clear from major trouble, only capturing the attention of a Hunter that missed Bill by a few inches. Francis took it out before he pounced, for which I gave him a grateful look as he winked back at me.

We continued on for another block until a chill picked up. A frosty breeze swirled around the street as trees began to tremble with a strong force of wind and the trash collated in the street blew up in a gust. There was a far off echo. At first I thought it was the gale, but as the sound was increasing in volume, I failed to recognise the familiarity. I couldn't quite put the sound to the object.

"Do you guys hear that?" I whispered as we stopped by a corner shop.

"Sounds like gunfire to me." Louis leaned against the brick, trying to catch his breath.

"It's a chopper." Bill clarified.

"A chopper?" Louis asked.

"A helicopter, you moron!" Francis rebuked.

"Shut…"

"Is it a rescue?" I interrupted in their uproar as I turned towards Bill.

"We'd better hope so." He threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped on it until the fire flickered out, "Either they summon a broadcast or we'll have to make a show of our own."

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**A/N: Hey guys, another slow chapter for which I'm sorry for, I just had to develop a few of the characters and I had get them out of that boring safe room!**

**I promise there'll be a load of action within the next few chapters, as I've already written them. I'm just taking a few days to edit and to chop and change a few parts to make the story better for you guys.**

**Again, just a major thanks to everyone for the reviews and favourites, it really helps me to continue writing and I hope you guys are enjoying the story. There's a major twist coming up within the next two chapters so stay tuned :)**

**Also, just wanted to know what you guys think of the story so far. Do you like it, or not? What would you like to happen? Or not to happen? I'd just like to hear your thoughts, and even tell me a little about yourself too.**

**Anyways, enjoy! :)**


	4. Initiate Plan A

The helicopter circled the suburb of Fairfield, alerting the screams of the infected as they sprinted after the spotlight the chopper had been emitting onto the streets. Our position made us vulnerable as victims of the zombies. We had to take immediate cover, or we would be the ones subjected to the hordes of infected.

"Quick, in here!" Francis bellowed over the screams as we sprinted into the nearest store located within the district that wasn't already broken into by the infected. He barged into the door with all of his might and it crushed underneath his immense body as the rest of us staggered inside.

"Nice job Francis. Now the zombies can get inside!" Louis shouted over the screams.

Francis loaded his pump action shotgun before turning around to face Louis. "Well fuck you Louis! I just saved your ass from hundreds of zombies and that's the thanks I get!" he shouted back.

I sighed, this was getting old. "Stop it guys!"

Louis turned his back towards Francis and crossed his arms. "Well you know what, I'm just so sick of your shit Francis!" he stammered.

"I'm fucking sick of you!" Francis retorted.

"If you guys do _not_ stop bickering like teenage girls, then we _will_ get killed by the zombies. So I suggest you both shut the _hell _up, so we can get the rescue's _fucking_ attention!" Bill's voice exploded in a burst of shrill loudness and order as both men turned towards him, their looks aghast. Yet they both obeyed. Bill continued, "Francis and Louis, I'll need you two to grab that stand by the far wall and secure it against the front, so that the zombies won't notice our presence. That'll also give Zoey and I a few minutes to search through this place to see if there's anything useful in here. Can we do that without your pointless squabbling?"

The two men stood dumbfounded, but did as they were told. I had to hand it to Bill; his authoritative figure was definitely something I valued with those two around. "Thanks Bill." I gave him a small smile.

"Now while they're doing that, I need you to see if you can find anything that'll come to use. Torches, candles, matches, flares or explosives, even weaponry if you happen to find it. I hope this place stocked up for the apocalypse." He returned a grim smile and went to scavenge the store.

The first thing I noticed was that this was a guitar store. Several guitars, both electric and acoustic lay on stands along with massive amplifiers that were almost taller than me. I didn't think there would even be anything useful in this store that could accommodate for a zombie apocalypse. But I'd been wrong before. Firstly, I checked behind the counter and managed to score a packet of matches with a few unused matchsticks. The rest that was left underneath was a pile of plastic containers with stale food and a box that held picks for the guitars.

I stood from the counter and watched as Bill hunted for supplies throughout the store. The two men continued to secure one of the stands against the open doorway as to block out as much view of us as possible. To the right of where I stood, I noticed a doorway shadowed by the insufficient lighting in the room. Upon glancing from the men to the door, I took the handle and opened it slowly, peering into the pitch black darkness of the room. I was sure this was a safe room; I heard none of the screams of the infected. I stalked inside, sliding my hands across the walls, attempting to find the light switch that would grant me easier access to the room.

I found the switch just behind the door; and upon flipping the switch on I tripped on an object that had been left near the doorway. As the light flickered into the room, my body collapsed onto another. My face was left only inches away from his, as the pale white, soulless eyes were glazed onto mine. A knife was protruding from his throat, as his blotchy and decayed flesh was crawling with maggots and worms. I let out a piercing and shrilling scream as I tore myself away from the dead body, tripping once, twice and a third time before staggering against the back wall, clutching myself tightly, unable to tear my eyes from the sickening sight.

Three pairs of loud footsteps entered the room, "What the hell's going on in here?" Francis shouted as they all saw my frightened figure and gasped at the decayed infected. "Zoey, darlin', are you alright?" Francis ignored the man and was at my side in a second, his hand caressed my arm as he pulled me in for a hug.

"I-Is he dead?" I stuttered as Francis dragged me to my feet.

"Nothing to worry about. He's dead." Bill confirmed.

Relief surged within me. I exhaled and pulled myself together, "It just was a fright. I hope I didn't attract any attention outside." I gulped.

"Of course you didn't Zo. As long as you're alright, darlin'," He took hold of a loose tangle of my greasy hair and curtained it behind my ear.

"Once you two are finished, we'd appreciate you helping us find some supplies." Bill chimed in as Francis immediately let go of me and searched for anything that could be of use. The room was quite large, despite being an employee rest room, there were several cupboards and shelves full of mugs, cups and plates and cutlery. A sink was located in the corner of the room.

Louis broke the silence. "I think I found something."

"What is it?" I asked.

"I don't know, some stick lookin' thing. I think it's an explosive."

"That's not an explosive, that's a flare. How many more are there?" Bill lit a cigarette before trudging over to where Louis was standing in the far corner.

"There's another four. Why, what's a flare?"

"Son, this is gonna help us get outta here. Grab them all and we'll head back into the other room. I have an idea." Bill swiftly left the room, along with Francis behind him.

"But I don't get it, what the hell is it?" Louis turned to look at me. I giggled and patted him on the back before leaving the room. Who knew what the hell it was, but if it was going to help us grab their attention, we shouldn't waste precious time.

"So what's the plan Bill?" I said as I leapt onto the counter and swung my legs back and forth. "Do we get to rock out to the guitars?" I watched as Bill laid the flares by my side. "No nothing like that." Upon turning around he stopped dead on his feet, almost as if he was frozen. I jumped down from the counter and took a hold of his arm. "Bill, are you okay? What's wrong?" I felt my face drain of blood as he didn't move.

"That's actually a good idea." His voice broke the eerie silence as my heart skipped a beat. "Alright Francis I need you to check whether these guitars have cables so we can hook them up to those black stereo things. Louis…"

"They're called amplifiers old man." Francis interrupted before checking out the guitars.

"Louis." Bill continued as if nothing happened, "Hunt for some matches."

"I've already got some." I took the packet out from my jumper and handed it to him. "What's the plan? How are we going to do this?"

"As soon as Francis hooks up the guitars to the stereos…"

"AMPLIFIERS!"

"… We'll set it to the highest volume. Then if Francis and Louis can place the amplifiers outside the store I'll need you and Louis to play the guitars. That'll attract the rescuers. Meanwhile, Francis and I will light the flares, which will show where the chopper can find us." He smiled smugly before taking the remaining matches out and setting them by the flares.

"Will it work? I mean, will it be loud enough to attract their attention?" I didn't think a few guitars would be able to attract a chopper's attention. Even though this was our chance of salvation, I was having my doubts. This wasn't the first time a plan of ours went wrong.

Bill stared at me for a long moment. "The size of those amplifiers along with the volume they'll be broadcasting will be like an explosion of sound. There's no doubt that we'll be able to seize their attention. The risk is… the unwanted attention." The room fell silent as we grasped the meaning of his words. Upon gaining rescue's attention, we would all be risking our lives as hundreds of infected would be lurching towards us. Shit. This was bad.

I bit down my lip as I crossed my arms. "You don't think there's any other way?" I whispered.

Bill answered my question with a solemn gaze.

Ten minutes later, we were ready. Francis and Louis had placed the amps out onto the deserted street. Whilst they were outside, they checked if the chopper was still circling the neighbourhood. To my misfortune, they still were. I really didn't want to go ahead with this plan. I was scared to lose someone. Frightened to lose… _him_. The thought of the hundreds of reeling infected tightened the knots in my stomach. I could feel my knuckles screaming at me in protest to lessen the tension they were holding against the instrument. But they were the least of my worries.

Louis and I stood just inside the store, clutching the new and never before used electric guitars. I constantly eyed Francis. He and Bill had been positioning all of the flares in various posts around our vicinity. Just as Bill finished lighting the final flare, Francis came up to me and caressed my cheek. A single tear trickled down my cheek as he pulled me into his embrace. I let go of the guitar and wrapped myself around him, clutching at his burly back. He held my head with his hands and brought his face down to mine. After a moment of hesitation, I pulled away from Francis and glanced towards Bill and Louis. They must have felt uncomfortable, as they stealthily left the building. I was thankful towards them for giving us a chance to be alone. Francis met my eyes as he bent down once more.

His kiss was soft and sweet, as he moved his hand to the nape of my neck, and the other to my lower back. He lessened the space between us as he heaved his body against mine. His kisses were demanding, as his lips forced my mouth open. I trailed my tongue along his as he swept me off my feet. He must have walked over to the counter, as I was sitting on a hard surface, my legs binding around his hips. He stood with my legs around him as one of his powerful arms was securely wrapped around my back. My heart somersaulted as my breathing became ragged. I was hungry for him. My arms powerfully enfolded around his neck, trying to hold him tighter against me. My heart burst into a sprint as I heard him sigh my name.

Our moment was cut short when I heard two throaty coughs from the other side of the room. At that second I didn't care, and only wanted to kiss him further. But when I realised what we had planned, my arms fell slack from his neck and I was no longer in the moment. Francis noticed my gloomy silence and cupped my chin, "Hey. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Understand darlin'? We're gonna get through this together." I stared into his deep grey eyes, my haven, my safe harbour and I nodded my head before jumping from the counter and taking my place.

I watched as the flares emitted a smokescreen of red light that billowed into the air metres above the ground. Once Bill signalled us, Louis and I were to start playing the guitars. I glanced at him, and he met my eyes. He gave me a small smile before looking down at the floor. Was it just the light, or did I notice a glistening tear slide down his cheek?

Francis and Bill guarded each of the two windows by the front of the store. As soon as we had the chopper's attention, we were to help out if the infected smashed down the stand blocking the empty doorway. I held onto the guitar, as if grasping onto life. Nothing was going to be the same ever again. We will have our chance at salvation. We will get out of this apocalypse.

Bill turned to look at the both of us, and nodded. I drew in a quick breath, attempting to calm down my jittery heart, and ran the guitar pick along all of the strings in one fluid motion. That one simple movement scared the living daylights out of me as the ground trembled vigorously from the vibrating amps. It felt as if an earthquake had penetrated the Earth's surface. An outburst of melody exploded from the amps as I ran the guitar pick along the strings a second time.

Despite the fact that we were currently fighting a zombie apocalypse, and for our lives, rocking out to the guitar was actually enjoyable. I glanced over at Louis who was playing professionally; even thrusting a few rock star moves that made me chuckle. But as I glimpsed at Bill and Francis, I noticed they were already shooting the infected that found our hideout. A sudden panic infested within me as I let go of my guitar and loaded my dual pistols. As the bullets locked into place, I felt safer with my armed weaponry rather than a musical instrument.

I glided over towards Francis's window and gazed into the open area. The flares were working their magic as the thick, red smoke drifted metres into the air, casting a haze of red that blended in with the blood splattered on the zombies' clothing. And hell, there were a _lot_ of them. They flooded the entire street in every direction. I scavenged the zombies, trying to find any hint of the special infected that would be lurking within the horde. If we encountered a ravenous Tank or a livid Witch… we would be in _deep_ trouble. Not that we weren't already…

My thoughts were cut swiftly as I heard the familiar reverberation of the chopper overhead. A transmit boomed over the sound of the screams of the infected.

_**"If anyone can hear this, proceed to Mercy Hospital for evacuation... I repeat, survivors out there, proceed to Mercy Hospital for evacuation." **_

We didn't need to be told twice. Francis and Bill withdrew from the windows as they placed similar stands against the empty windows to prevent the infected entry. All four of us took a moment to gather ourselves, before we reloaded our weapons and stole the remaining supplies that granted us a fight for our lives.

Bill lit a cigarette before eyeing every one of us. "It's been a long night and the teamwork has been effective. We've come a long way, but don't let idiotic actions take over the thought of an easy escape. We still have a fair way to go. Is everyone ready?" he stood by the door stand awaiting our response.

Francis guffawed, "Hell yeah. Let's kill some fucking vampires!" I heard his pump action shotgun click into place as he came to stand by me.

"Let's do this man! We've got this!" Louis's eyes sparkled as anticipation burst within him.

"Bring it on." I chimed as I smiled playfully.

Bill didn't smile, he gracefully nodded. I turned back towards Francis as he bent down and kissed my forehead. Bill and Louis shoved the stand away from the door and began shooting the infected that had already attempted to fight their way in. I snapped into action mode as I raised my pistols and ventured out into the open night.

The chopper was overhead and I watched as it flew toward the direction of Mercy Hospital – thankfully – taking a decent proportion of the infected with it. We would just have to deal with the rest later. But for now, it was time to kick ass.

We commenced toward the hospital, fighting for salvation with mercy by our side.

* * *

**A/N: It's been a while since I've updated, ooops...**

**But anyways here's the next chapter up and I hope you guys like it :)**

**I'll have the fifth chapter up within a few days so stay tuned. Thanks for all your reviews and favourites, it means the world to me!**

**Comment and enjoy. =D**


	5. Repercussion

The hordes were never-ending. Wave after wave progressed as our exhaustion was rapidly declining. I had never seen so many special infected in one single area before. We were desperately in need of health kits, the irony; we were stumbling throughout a hospital. But this was our only chance of salvation from this apocalypse. Emotions were on a high as we fought our way through aggressively, salivating for mercy. No one was going to back down, not when we were so close to the end.

"We're heading to the rooftop. Keep at a fast and steady pace." Bill grunted, and then continued, "At the same time, be _aware_!" he commanded us. We all obliged, following his instructions. The hallways were quieter than outside, only a few stragglers of infected were wandering throughout the rooms. We kept to the stairs, leaping two, three at a time.

"I hate stairs," Francis' voice broke the silence that fell between us. It picked my heart beat up, both from the momentary shock of noise, and from it being his voice. It was then we all heard the hacking cough of another Smoker. We all stopped dead on our feet.

"To the wall," I motioned, and we all stood with our backs pressed against the walls as we kept watch for an approaching Smoker through one of the blood stained windows. It was Bill up first, he passed the window slowly, trying to catch a glimpse of where the Smoker might have been. Louis progressed next, yet his stealth wasn't as efficient as Bill's as the Smoker's tongue whirled around his torso, tightening his airways as he thrashed and shouted.

"HOLD ON!" I screamed back, I struggled to dislodge the Smoker's tongue from Louis's body as Bill used his sniper to shoot down the Smoker. When things couldn't get any worse, the doorways smashed open as the sounds of infected screeched throughout the stairway corridor as we became cornered. "Shit, shit, shit." I muttered as I shot through the thick, slimy tongue with my pistol before wiping out tens of zombies.

"We have to get out of here!" Francis bellowed as he decapitated the head of a zombie.

"We have to take down the horde first, there's no clear way out!" Bill shouted over the eruption of noise.

I momentarily helped Louis up, "You're alright Louis, we're almost there." I encouraged him as he held his bruised torso together. "Thanks Zoey," he panted heavily. The horde was gradually slimming as Bill pushed past through the dead zombies at his feet. We were out onto a higher level and much quieter than most. The silence was deafening.

"This doesn't seem right," Louis gasped, "It's too quiet."

The silence was broken by a saddened moan that echoed throughout the hallway. We stiffened our posture as we recognised the cry.

I flinched from the sound, "You gotta be kidding me," I whispered as I tightened my hold on the pistols.

"Stick to your guard," Bill warned. We entered stealth mode, checking throughout each room and slaying those who were wandering, all the while expecting a livid Witch to come hacking at every one of us.

As I stood by the door to the next room, the sadistic groaning cries of the Witch grew in pitch. She was behind this door. I steadily tiptoed away from the room, about to alert the men to keep quiet when Francis's booming voice roared throughout the corridor. "Stupid fucking obese pile of shit!" he dived out of the room he had currently rescinded from and shut the door with a bang! He was covered in boomer bile, dripping with puke from his loving vest to his shoes. Although I would have normally laughed in this situation, the infected behind the door reminded me to keep silent, as her wavering cries grew in tumult.

Francis noticed my awkward silence as I motioned him with my hand slicing across my throat. He got the picture and quietened his uproar. I continued on to the next room, hoping to find supplies or even a health pack. I managed to find some pain pills as I placed them within one of the holsters attached to my belt.

As I came out of the ward, I heard the ground tremble beneath my feet. My heart lurched to a stop, before beating several times in the second. "Did anyone feel that?" I whispered. Their expressions were dumbfounded. We stopped our movement for a minute or so. "Are you sure…" someone started, but his sentence was brought to a sudden halt as the next tremble was more like a quake. "TANK!" we all confirmed simultaneously.

The colossal muscle of rock came hollering towards us as its extended arms, the size of boulders tore down the sides of the hospital walls. The peelings, the picture frames and the doors were left battered, broken and busted. The amount of bullets wasted on this ferociously unstable infected were enough to rid us of our weaponry entirely. I appreciated the long lengths of hospitals… they really do come in handy. Before I could collect myself the Tank ripped a door right off its hinges and thrust it towards us. The door hit the left wall that Francis was occupying; it rebounded and sent the door smashing into splinters that hit every one of us.

Before we had time to adjust ourselves, an ear shrieking wail was emitted from the Witch as a pale and sickly grey arm protruded from the door she was behind. Her elongated arm pulverised the door effortlessly as she continued to wail a piercing scream that filled the corridor. Her anorexic body found the strength and stamina to sprint towards the Tank that was gradually pounding its way down to the four of us. Her bloodied, razor sharp claws outstretched in a gruesome manner as she slashed at the Tank, its blood splattering the walls with an artistic display.

"We need to get to the next level!" Bill barked.

"How the hell you expect us to do that old man! The stupid fucking vampire will follow _us_!" Francis fought back; I cringed from the fight as I reloaded my pistols. I was engrossed with the scene before us as the Witch hacked at the Tank with a finishing blow before it crashed against the destroyed walls that it had ravenously ripped.

All was silent with the exception of the Witch as she threw her distorted and blood-dripping hands around her face. She gave every one of us a cold glare, her laser-red eyes piercing each of ours as we fought to reduce our laboured breathing.

_Please don't kill us. Please don't kill us. Please don't kill us_.

She ambled away, turning down the same set of stairs from which horrors had escalated from.

"We need to get the fuck outta here!" I heard Francis kick the door that was thrown towards us as he fumed. "Let's calm down for a sec, guys. Give it a rest for a while." Louis and I indulged in the sudden silence that helped calm us down. I shifted towards the right wall and slid down until I was comfortably seated on the cold floor. Francis joined me.

"How ya holdin' up darlin?" He took my hand and I leaned against his chest. Despite the horrendous smell of the boomer bile, which I fought to ignore, the leathery smell mixed in with his sweat was the scent I had grown to love over these past couple of weeks. He wrapped his arm around my waist to tighten the space between us. "I'll be alright. It's been a long night," I smiled and looked up into his grey eyes. He slowly leaned in closer and took a hold of my chin, as he bent his face towards mine…

"We need to get going you two. Save it for the helicopter." Bill grumbled as he finished patching Louis up. Francis and I split apart immediately and he quickly helped me up, still holding my hands, as I felt my cheeks flush. "Listen darlin', I uh – just wanted to tell ya that – I love…" his voice was swallowed in the sudden screams of another horde sprinting up the stairs the Witch had just descended. We retracted momentarily as Francis pulled out his auto-shotgun and I pulled out my dual pistols. The growl of a Hunter was heard within the horde as it leapt and knocked the breath out of Francis. Adrenaline replaced the knots in my stomach as I tackled the Hunter off Francis. I was rewarded with a three line long gash in my left arm, caused by the Hunter's claws. I lifted my pistol with my right arm and shot the bitch in the face.

"Thanks Zo," Francis puffed. The horde was closing in, there were too many all around us. Within seconds, we resulted in physical damage to the horde. Their blood and brain matter splattered all over our faces and clothes. I held the reflex to gag as I elbowed a female in her left eye. I heard her skull crush under the impact as her head tore into two. The sound of Bill's shouts caught my attention as he was being dragged across the floor into the horde. "BILL!" I took out my dual pistols and fought my way through the horde, all the while getting pushed and shoved by the infected. I found the Smoker that had incapacitated Bill and shot it through the chest five times before delivering a finishing blow to its hideously boiled face.

I unwrapped the tongue from Bill's ankles and helped him up. I noticed that Francis had been covering us the entire time. But that was the least of our worries. "Where's Louis?" I screamed throughout the noise of the infected. "Aw, shit." Francis ran, shoving and thrusting all of the zombies in his way towards Louis. I grabbed Bill and lead him out, trying to avoid the infected that grabbed at me and bit into my clothes. "Bill, go help the guys out. I'll be there after I deal with these sons of bitches!"

Needless to say, I was surrounded. The battering and the biting were difficult to overcome, and I managed to land a few promising blows that Francis would have been proud of. For a while there, I was doing a real darn good job. But as my strength was weeping away… I grew panicked. Surely, the guys would have come back to help me with the horde. They would have been able to make sure Louis was safe and secure before assisting me. Unless… my heart skipped a beat as I smashed an already broken nose of a middle aged infected… Louis must be in trouble. I tried to run toward them, to fight my way through the wails of the infected. But it was too much… my exhaustion was reaching its limit. That's when I saw a young male infected push through his kind; his milky white eyes contained a look of utter greed and a voracious desire for my flesh. His skin was blotchy as pus was seeping from his tarnished wounds as his mouth was covered in his own streaming black blood.

He lunged for my throat, ripping a large portion of my flesh. The pain that followed was more than anything I've ever felt. The only desire I wanted right then was to die. I never knew such pain existed until this very moment as my life was slowly dissolving into unreality. Images flickered as I processed what was taking place in the scene opposite me. My blood sprayed… the horde closed in… kicking, beating, thrashing… savouring. I screamed an ear-splitting shriek of pain and collapsed to the floor. My blood was flowing profusely as I dragged myself along the tainted floors, coughing and splattering blood from my mouth. They continued to thrash and pound on me as I hauled myself into an unoccupied room. I mustered my last strands of energy and booted the infected who tried to follow me in – ravenous for more blood.

"Get the_ fuck_ outta here!" I screeched as I kicked the door shut, the infected continually attempted to thud and punch the door down. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I gasped and took a hold of the hospital chair that was seated right beside the door. I threw it towards the door and secured it so that they couldn't enter – not that the chair would stop them anyway. I was better off dead.

The tears clouded my vision as I inhaled and exhaled vigorously, trying to keep my sobs contained. The sound of gunfire commenced in the corridor. I hoped Louis was alive. He shouldn't have to go through this injured. Hell, _none_ of us should have to go through this _shit_! I heaved myself to sit against the opposite wall. I clutched at my torn throat… my blood was smeared against the floor from where I had dragged myself. I was sure to pass out soon enough. With that, I knew I would eventually die… or worse, I would turn into one of those animalistic, bloodthirsty creatures of hell.

The bashing at the door subsided. I kept my mouth shut, biting on my tongue to prevent a cry. I was sure the bodies were piled up along the entire corridor. The guys wouldn't know where the hell I was. My blood was either already relished by the zombies or was shrouded by the blood of the infected. I tried to take that as a good thing, they needed to get themselves out of here and into safety.

"Zoey!"

It was _his_ voice. I cringed, biting down on my lip to prevent myself from answering a scream of longing to call him. I could taste the salty stains of blood in my mouth. "ZOEY!" He roared. It took everything I had within me not to run out of this room and into the comforting and powerful arms of the man I loved. I knew he would help me in this situation, he would tell me everything was going to be alright. But it was too late. My blood was already mixed in with the infected blood. Even _if_ I was immune to this corruption of a disease, _their_ blood had never mixed in with my own… I couldn't take the risk and put them all in terrible danger. Tears escaped as I heard the others catch up.

A second pair of footsteps joined Francis. "Yo Francis, we gotta get outta here! They're coming!" The panting voice that I knew too well belonged to Louis. My heart lifted to the fact that he was alright.

"I am NOT leaving Zoey. C'mon darlin'... don't do this to me," His voice was dropping to a near whisper; it was difficult to hear over the shrieks of the incoming infected. I was sure the helicopter had arrived, that must explain the waves of never-ending hordes. To think… I was so close. So very near to salvation, to a new life, to a happy life, one that was free of this disease entirely. I could almost imagine my life before this cataclysm; my life had been so simple, devoid of pain, suffering and death.

I bit down on my lip hard, trying to stifle a hysterical sob as I clutched at my savagely bloody neck. I let go for a moment and tore a large piece of my white tank top and wrapped it tightly around my contaminated wound. I still had a minuscule amount of hope, that maybe one day; salvation was out there for me too.

I didn't want them to leave me; no way in hell did I want that. But I couldn't risk their safety if I turned. I wasn't selfish; I had to be noble enough to grant them that. To grant them hope, a future of possible happiness out of this forsaken hell.

"She's gone Francis. We need to keep moving." Bill's authoritative command was the one everyone followed, even if his voice was shaking with disbelief.

_Please… please don't leave me._

_Shut _up_ Zoey. Do you _want_ to kill them?_

_You need to let them _go_…_

Francis mumbled something unintelligible. Perhaps it was my life already fading, or I was simply losing consciousness. I knew it was hard for him to leave without me. But I knew Louis and Bill would grab a hold of him if they had to… even if he was twice their weight. I blocked out the screams of the horde as an eerie silence fell between the three men. Within seconds, I could hear their boots scrape against the linoleum. The tears were streaming down my cheeks by this point. Never had I felt so alone.

Their footsteps grew fainter as the screams of the horde elevated throughout the hallways.

I succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

**A/N: What'ssss gonnaaaa happennnn nowww? =O**

**I gotta say it was pretty fun writing a cliffhanger, even though I was in an nervous wreck while writing the part of when Zoey was attacked. I think I love my characters too much...**

**But nonetheless, I hope this chapter was a good expectation. No flames please!**

**Also, a huge thanks to all my reviewers and alerters and favouriters as such, love you guys heaps.  
School's starting in a few days, so it'll be difficult keeping up with my writing and a Year 12 workload, but hey, that won't stop me. **

**'Til then, enjoy.**


	6. Shattered Recollections

Blackened, hazy and shadowed images.

Flickering like fire emitted from a lighter.

Gone one instant and back the next.

The images were blurred, disproportional and unfamiliar to me. They replayed constantly through my mind, like a broken down film projector. The figure alone was murky, yet I could distinctly hear it calling my name. The voice was foreign to me, I was sure I'd never heard it before.

Closer and closer the figure stalked, reaching for me. The image startled me, as the closer it approached, the more I was encased within the darkness. My index finger twitched slightly as I attempted to push it away, but the weakness that encompassed me was anything beyond my control.

Fighting the forces pulling me under, my trembling hands rocked violently as I struggled with all my might to raise my limbs, attempting to shove the figure out of my view. But the figure simultaneously diminished just as my arms shielded my face.

A sudden onslaught of vibrant, blinding light heated my once frozen muscles. I let out a harsh snarl as the light stunned me to my core. My exhausted efforts fighting for strength resulted in a queasy stomach. I choked and heaved a stream of black blood that pooled the snow-white floors.

With open eyes, I searched for the figure that I had just envisioned. Now that I was awake, I could finally comprehend that it had only been a dream. A vivid escape from the world I came to know as normal and even routine.

I shuffled out of my incoherent thoughts and attempted to rise from the floor. Before I gained the momentum to complete the task, an emotion I had never felt and never even come to experience pierced my humanity like a razor sharp knife, its jagged edges slicing everything I knew to be normal. Cringing, I fought back the unknown emotion that I knew was _wrong_.

I ignored the burning of my throat and unclenched my bone white fists.

Gathering myself together took longer than I anticipated. It was difficult to sift through my blurred thoughts, as I came to the realisation that I had a purpose here. But the constant drumming in my head thought otherwise, it was constantly nagging for an unknown desire.

I shifted that thought aside as I grabbed a hold of the hospital bed and shifted my weight upon it with my left hand gliding vertically up the wall to steady my clumsy movements. Now that I was upright, I observed the room beyond me. Although the room was left in a haphazard manner, the one substance that caught and held my attention was the smeared red blood that trailed from the door to my position on the floor.

Unlike the charcoal blood I had shortly heaved, the difference between the two was alarming. The scent of the red blood clouded my thoughts as I felt the same peculiar burning sensation deep inside my throat that longed for a taste. Before I could understand my actions, I was on my knees and my hand was only inches away from the puddle.

The constant drumming turning to an aggressive beating that almost split my head in two.

_Just shift your fingers a little closer Zoey_.

My action followed my train of thought.

_You're almost there. _

My index finger glided through the blood.

_Just think of the taste…_

Upon my mouth watering, I lunged from my spot and slammed into the door, my fingers trying to dig in against the wood.

What the hell had I been thinking? What person in their right mind would have a desire to taste human blood?

What frightened me the most is I had no control. A monster inside me wanted it so much that my control and restrain was left in tattered remains. I had little recollection of who I was or my purpose for being here. This unknown information terrified me. How much else was I missing? Was there some horrific accident? Were there people I knew, or even cared about around here? There were no sources of information to replenish the holes in my memory.

I had to get out of here.

I opened the door and stepped out into a corridor strewn with bloodied, gruesomely torn and beaten bodies. The grotesque image didn't sicken me at all as I glanced down the corridor. A vague memory shifted its way forward as I walked towards the crumpled and splintered walls. A flicker of a familiar image flashed across my sight. It remained for a second before vanishing. All I was able to see was a mountain of stone and then a sliver of grey.

Though, none of it made sense to me.

I shrugged, and turned back around, almost tripping on a decaying beast that was left with five-lined, long gashes that sliced, tore and butchered the remains of the monster. It must have been terribly weak to lose all sense of control. I sneered; it must have been a pathetic fiend to have lost.

Continuing on, I ascended the stairs to the rooftop. The buildings were just like those downstairs, most were broken, and others had that same liquid substance – blood – that trickled against every precipice.

The monster inside me convulsed underneath my skin, I could feel my body twitch as I edged closer to a pile of dead infected. I could tell from the looks on their heinous faces, that a painful death was bestowed upon them. Such pitiful weaklings…

Their blood streamed like a river, and even though I knew their blood was tainted and tasteless, it would satisfy the hunger that gnawed my insides.

I shifted toward them; my knees connected to the ground, and I ignored the protesting screams that would obliterate my head.

I surrendered to the monster.

**Francis POV**

My legs maintained the same, rapid speed they had exerted, but my mind wasn't connected with my body.

It was two flights back, on a deserted corridor, where I knew we left _her_. Dead or alive, we left _her_. But even I knew myself, she wasn't dead. She didn't have it in her to die. That wasn't… that wasn't… her.

That wasn't… _Zoey. _

A sharp pain stung my right rib as my mind now focused on the scene beyond me. The helicopter had landed; the force of wind that gushed from the pile of crap wasn't enough to knock me down, even with my mind on other matters…

"C'mon Francis. We gotta get the hell outta here!" I obeyed the orders, without realising who was talking. I didn't care anyway. Slouching onto the chopper I heard the wails of those blood hounding infected. I snapped into kill mode.

They sprinted for us, pushing each other out of the way just so they could get a taste for our flesh. They'll be getting a taste tonight I tell ya, a taste of my pump action shotgun and fists.

Without intuition, I leapt from the chopper and armed myself for the ride.

"Come and fucking get some!" I sneered as they sprinted even faster, pure evil and hunger plastered on their destroyed faces.

One had almost reached me, and as he grabbed at my arm, I pulled the trigger as the shot exploded on his face, ripping it entirely into pieces as the blood and brain matter splattered into the air. A second and third arrived, one I backhanded, as she was sent flying into the horde. The other I punched at his face, with two teeth tearing from the gum before he was motionless on the floor. A wave had reached my position, a bullet here and a bullet there, faces, necks and chests were annihilated with my shotgun. The others received physical damage from my dangerous fists. These fucking zombies were a crime against nature. These fucking zombies are the reason why _she_ isn't here with me! These fucking zombies took her _away_ from _me!_

They were going to pay.

Fucking pay with their lives…with their fucked up lives.

"FRANCIS. I order you to get inside here, NOW!"

I'm not going to listen to that stupid old man and his stupid orders. I was going to finish this, finish them. Even if I went down in the process, I was going to do it for her.

"See you in hell." I muttered, as the head was blown off and flung metres back as it smashed against the wall, the blood oozing down like running water.

Yet even before I knew it, I was hoisted off my feet and dragged back into the chopper.

"Get your hands off me!"

"Listen here son; my orders are to get the stupid and selfless people like you, outta here. Do you wanna die out there? You're risking your life, as well as ours. So keep your god-damn suicidal self on this chopper before I personally shoot you."

Prick.

"Let's go!" he shouted toward the pilot. Louis remained quiet, but kept his eyes away from my glare. Good thing he did, or else I would've knocked some sense into him too.

Everything was silent apart from my rampant breathing, and the throaty coughs of the pilot. I wanted to just tear down the door and continue from where I left off. I looked back at Bill and Louis; they had been watching each other, almost as if they knew I was planning to escape.

"It's not right… without her here." Louis whispered.

My nostrils flared as I clenched my fists. There was nothing more I wanted right then than to rip his head off. How could he mention her in a time like this? I'll give him some sense…

"Louis, not now. Francis, stay down or I'll throw you off the chopper."

"I don't need your help for that, old man."

"I swear I'll tie you up with the seat buckles."

"Go ahead and do it then."

We glared at each other for at least a minute. No way was I going to back down from this. But he sighed, and left to check in on the pilot.

"Hey man… I'm sorry."

I looked towards Louis and snorted. "Don't talk to me."

Bill returned, his breath sprinting as a grim look was cast across his face. My eyebrows furrowed.

"Let's go." He said.

"We're at the site already?" Louis asked, slightly shocked.

"Worse. The pilot's changing. We need to kill him."

"But…" I started. Sure as hell that couldn't be happening. Not now. "Wait, what?"

"The pilot is transitioning into one of them. Either we kill him now, or he kills us all."

"We'll die either way! Can _you_ fly a god-damn chopper?"

"I can try."

Well fuck.

"Are you sure…" Louis started.

"Sure as hell, kid." Bill interrupted.

"I'll do it." I said.

Bill nodded glumly, before entering the pilot's room.

"Stay here," I grunted towards Louis.

" – till we get there?" I walked in on Bill chattin' it up with the pilot.

"About fifteen Sir." – Cough – "Won't be long."

I shifted my shotgun into my good hand. But I couldn't even raise it. I just couldn't do it. Why was this so difficult for me? Out of all the violence I've suffered throughout my life and inflicted upon others, why was this any different?

He wasn't like them, _yet_. He was relatively human, only bordering the boundary of healthy.

Damn it. This wasn't like me. But I knew I had to do it. We couldn't have a rampaging zombie stuck in here with us.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I pulled the trigger and watched as his head exploded and as blood spat across the side of the chopper.

The chopper veered off to the left as Bill took the handle and tried to steady it.

Fat lot of good that did it.

The chopper plummeted at a rapid speed toward our deaths.

"Shift it upwards!" I shouted and grabbed a hold of the lever.

"It's not doing anything!" Bill shouted back in response.

"What the hell is going on? Are we gonna crash?" Louis's screams joined ours as we stumbled inside the chopper, all attempting to grab a hold of anything we could grasp.

"We're gonna fucking die." Bill stammered between breaths.

"Not on my watch." I shoved Bill out of the pilot seat and grabbed the lever. Pulling with all my might, I steadied the chopper's fall by a considerable amount.

But it wasn't enough.

The chopper crashed.

I flew from the pilot seat, my head connected with the glass and I was out.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so i know i haven't posted in like FOREVER.**

**I'm not going to lather you with all my excuses either, but I won't let it happen again.**

**I hope you enjoy the chapter, and let me know what you think of it, whether you like it or not :)**

**Also, if you guys would like to voice any ideas or suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them. **

**Just a thanks for sticking with me this far, I love all my reviewers and my readers. **

**Thank you guys! **


	7. Broken and Dazed

**Francis POV**

I woke to complete darkness. My head throbbed painfully as I sat up in a rapid jolt. I groaned and reached for the back of my head, the bandages were thick and secure. I couldn't even remember what happened. Nor did I know where the hell we were. It appeared to be a safe room. Good thing I wasn't the only one awake.

"Where are we?" I turned to Louis to confirm my suspicions.

"In a safe room." Louis muttered.

I sneered and rubbed the pain that seared through my skull. "Yeah I figured that much. Where _are _we? What happened?"

"We're just outside Fairfield. We didn't get far." He scorned. "When the chopper crashed, your head smashed against the glass. I wasn't surprised you had a concussion. We had to haul your ass through the wave of zombies. It was hard, and it hurt like hell, but we managed."

Shit. "How long have I been out?" I whispered.

Louis shrugged, "Could be two days by now, maybe three."

I glared down at the cold, solid floor, and as a shiver crawled down my spine I tightened my vest to gather warmth. Before his answer sunk in, I noticed the condition of my vest.

"What the _**fuck**_ happened to my _vest_!" I hauled the vest closer to my sight to observe the damage caused. An entire chunk of the right side had been torn off, its whereabouts unknown. "Care to explain?" I glared into the eyes of Louis, his face confused.

He gulped, "Shit. God damn it Francis. How the hell would I know? Maybe it uh, tore off from the chopper somehow?"

I trembled with rage, fingertips digging into both temples as I attempted to calm myself down, enough not to actually bash the shit outta Louis. But hell, that would have made me feel better, and damn it, I wanted to. "You have no fucking idea where this shred of my perfect, black vest is?"

He sighed, "Francis. I don't really care, man. It's a piece of cloth for God sakes. Zoey wouldn't chuck a fit if she lost her jacket!" As soon as he said the words, I _knew_ he immediately regretted opening his mouth. He must really want a death wish. That _could_ have done it. A fuse was definitely blown. Red lights were flashing inside my head. _'Rip Tear Kill_!', _'Bash, Obliterate, Destroy_!' All targets aimed for the man opposite me. Boy was he in for a pounding!

I leapt from the floor. But before I could even close the distance halfway to my prey, I stopped. Zoey wouldn't have wanted this. As much as I wanted to hurt the bastard, she wouldn't have been happy.

I sighed, even if her jacket was lost, she wouldn't make a ruckus outta it. Not like me. One fuse blown and I'd be lethal toward my victim. I watched as Louis trembled slightly, I knew he was scared for the oncoming attack, but I wasn't going to do it. I wasn't in the right condition, and I also knew that wasn't a good enough excuse. I just didn't want to kill the prick… accidently.

Louis's response slithered back into my mind. I'd been out for three days.

Three days wasted. Seventy-two hours worth of my time searching for her was lost. Even if the others didn't want to search for her, I would. I wouldn't stop until I found her safe and _alive_. As soon as darkness fell, I'd be outta here. The first place I'd check would be back on level four in Mercy Hospital.

I wasn't going to leave her back there.

I rolled onto my side and let my eyes close. I knew I wouldn't fall asleep, not without the warmth of the companion I'd lost. I felt stone cold. Rigid and frozen inside.

Waking to the sound of pots clattering, my eyes flickered open after an unsettling sleep. Bill and Louis were appetising on a small meal; it reminded me of a moment before, so similar, yet so completely different. Because this time she wasn't here next to me.

"Thanks for waiting." I grumbled.

Bill stood to wash out his plate with the newly installed watering system. "Hurry up and eat. We're leaving as soon as you're finished and loaded." He moved into the other room.

"No need old man," I slumped down into the wooden chair, the wood buckling under my immense pressure, "I'm taking my time and heading back to Mercy Hospital."

Louis remained silent as Bill stomped back into view. "We're not going back there, Francis. You should know we do want to go back for her, but we can't afford to waste time back-tracking for her. Even if she was alive, she'd find a way to take care of herself. I'm sure there are survivors fighting their way to salvation just like we are. She'll meet up with them."

I leapt from the chair and heard the crashing noise of it shattering against the floor. My index finger pressed into his chest stiffly. "Let me get this straight." My eyes narrowed as I dug in even harder. "You're not going to go back for family, for an innocent and kind-hearted and beautiful girl who considers you a father figure, a daughter you've known for at least a month in this shitty world. But wait!" I added in my own sarcastic monotone, "That's not all! Oh no, definitely not all." I sneered as I towered over his figure, "You think she's fucking **DEAD**!" I shoved the vulnerable man aside as I grabbed and loaded my pump action shotgun.

Louis immediately stood from the table, "Shove Bill like that again and I swear I'll break your legs!"

I pissed myself laughing, and then abruptly stopped to glare. "I'd like to see you try." Raging with pure anger and malicious hate, I grasped the gun and unlocked the safe room door, ignoring further protests behind me.

"Francis!"

"Fuck you Louis," I muttered under my breath.

"Francis."

That voice made me stop. Stupid old man and the stupid influence he has over me.

There was a moment of silence, and then I heard his calm and quiet voice. "You're going the wrong way…" I heard him sigh.

I turned back around and looked into the face of the man I trusted most. The harsh years of battle scars and death earned him my respect. I watched as he limped in the opposite direction, gun in hand, and I followed.

* * *

**Zoey POV**

Eyes flashed open.

Blinding sunlight.

Unbelievable pain in my abdomen.

Clenching…

_Tightening_…

_**Heaving**_…

Definitely not a good sight. Blood, as black as midnight, spurted and gushed like a waterfall, streaming through the abandoned street. The streetlights appeared to be flickering intensely as –

But wait!

How did I end up here? It was only last night that I was on the rooftop of the hospital, feeding on those who were destroyed as I savoured their blo –

So much blood, too much. Stomach so full, I knew it had the capacity to explode. Just like it did a moment ago and just like it will in three, two, one…

I felt all the contents rise straight up my throat as it surged out, the bile lightening to a charcoal as the last remnants of blood hurled out of me.

Now so very weak, too much energy wasted to lift a limb, too much energy to roll onto my stomach, to my knees and hands, to crouching, to unbuckling the unsteady trembles and cracks of my frail legs, to standing upright. I cracked my neck and then my fingers and continued my quest to hunt for prey.

It seemed impossible at first, entire streets were deserted in the mid-morning air. The cool breeze flowed through my grimy hair, a wide grin protruding on my rose lips. This reminded me of a simpler time. An image flashed across my sight, an image so old, yet not forgotten. A child, building a sandcastle by the shore, the blistering heat charring her soft, pink skin as a gentle draft cooled her body. The child's dark brown hair was showered with sand as she was hoisted metres above the air; a constricting object tightened her airways. Broken ribs, and a painful stiffness in her spinal cord before she was falling, lower, lower… lower.

The image slowly faded as my eyes adjusted to the scenery around me. I felt like I had just awoken from a terrifying nightmare. The image was familiar despite my clouded thoughts. The choking… and the snapping of my ribs was a sharp and painful experience. As my memory faded at the scarred edges, I knew the next scene of that image didn't replay because of my lack of remembrance.

"Damn it. I wish I could remember." I muttered to myself.

I realised there was a period of time where I was in utter darkness, where I knew I had done something wrong. I let the monster take control when I was at my weakest. Now that I was feeling stronger, I wasn't going to let it happen again, as much as I would try.

The gnawing sensation in my insides quietened for only a moment. I took this opportunity to check the state of my appearance. My clothing, my hands, and no doubt, my face was coated in blood. I glanced down at my tattered clothes; the fabric was soppy with blood… speckles, splashes and sloshes of red and black blood.

The sight was absolutely horrendous. I was sure that I resembled the infected in my state. I cried out in pain, not physical, but an emotional baggage of pain that erupted as a river of tears flowed down my face. "Shit." I cried. "Shit. Shit. Shit." I collapsed to the ground, allowing the overwhelming sorrow and guilt consume me entirely. What had I done? It was a given obvious, but I didn't want to believe it myself. It wasn't humane. I wasn't humane.

"D-Did I r-really… feed on… s-someone?" I whispered as I let out another hysterical sob, and accepted the realisation that _I_ was the monster.

I reached up toward my neck, and tore the bandage that was plastered against my scummy skin. I felt eight jagged holes as they pierced into my skin, caused by what? Had an animal bitten me? Or worse… those infected and sick men and women that lay dead on every building, was it perhaps, one of them?

I flinched from my thoughts, and feeling weaker and sleepier than ever I crashed against the pavement, my head lopsidedly supported by the brick wall. Thoughts and images scattered across my fading sight, yet of course, none of them made sense. But they provided me with an unknown sense of comfort, as I let the feeling of loss and lonesomeness sweep me under.

Someone…

Anyone…

Help me…

Grab me…

Save me now…

Distrust.

Darkened.

I lost sight.

My vision slithered into blackness.

* * *

**A/N: A quick chapter, I know. **

**I've already got my plans for the next chapter, and quite a few more characters to spice things up. I'm pretty excited about the content and I hope you guys'll like it. **

**A great big thank you to my reviewers and such, loving your praise heaps, it's inspiring and motivational. :)**


	8. Companionship Long and Lost

**Zoey POV**

_Three murky and shadowed figures approached my vulnerable state on the floor. I knew they thought of me as inferior, incapable and weak, but I was very hungry, and very capable of crushing anything that stood in my way. _

_Two remained watching at the back, as one stalked closer. His figure towered over mine, immense bulk and brawn_ _coated his exterior, as his skin was painted with beautiful black ink. His balding cut gleamed from the moonlight as a goatee prickled against his wide and tensed jaw. He wasn't in any way familiar; no frail memories were ignited after examining the man that would soon kill me._

_He raised his shotgun, but I wasn't going to cower in fear. I leapt from my spot and knocked his gun from my face. He stumbled, only an inch, before his comrades stepped up to help finish me off. _

_

* * *

_

I woke as the sun cooked my pale skin. I lifted my head an inch, ignoring the stabbing pains that reverberated in my skull and the burning of my throat. But for once, there were no awkward feelings inside me, ordering me to do wrong. I felt a change within myself, almost like I was normal again. Even though it was an unusual expectation, I swiftly undertook this good feeling. I was going to appreciate this day.

I smiled to myself and easily stood from the pavement. I scouted the street and realised I was only a few feet from the hospital. I shook away the bad memories that rushed back, the greedy feeling and the ravenous hunger that was never replenished. Instead I walked in the opposite direction, and abruptly stopped as I spotted two figures within the distance. I realised I wasn't alone out here.

Anticipation and excitement surfaced through the happy emotions as I sprinted for the two of them. "Hello?" my voice struggled to reach them in the distance, "You two, over there!" I approached them and the closer I was with every step, the more I realised that there was a strange inkling to this situation. My heart dropped as they turned to my view. Both of them were so familiar, almost as if I knew their names, or had even met them before.

The taller figure was oddly deformed, and there was a slight lean to his posture. His face and arms were bubbling with bruises and tumours that covered every expanse of his skin, even developing over one of his eyes. The other eye remained pale white – almost with a yellowed tinge. The green button-down shirt he was wearing was torn, while the white t-shirt underneath was grimy with sweat and blood. His black converses were almost as dirty and scummy as mine.

The other figure was smaller in height, and had an athletic build to his brawny posture. There weren't any blotches or obvious skin deformities with this man, but it was hard to tell, almost every part of his skin – apart from his face and hands – was covered in clothing. Half his face, from the eyes up, was covered with the hoodie; all I could vaguely see was the dried blood that was visible underneath his lips, and his teeth… razor sharp. I followed downwards; his navy blue hoodie was stained with blood that was splattered from other humans. I fought the urge to gag. It was a good thing his brown sweatpants remained a little cleaner. I sighted one of his hands, as normal as it looked, I knew humans didn't have the ability to attain claws as deadly or jagged as his. They ought to hurt. I couldn't help but notice there was grey masking tape along the length of his arms and legs, but what purpose would that achieve? Extra speed and agility? Would he really need that?

I shifted the thoughts aside as I looked back and forth between the two. "I-I'm sorry. Guess I made a mistake." Of course they weren't humans; it was common sense to understand that. They were, in fact, infected men. I should have been bolting from fear, but I didn't think they were going to hurt me… until they closed the distance with a greedy look in their eyes. Well… eye, in the taller one's case. As for the shorter one, you could tell his mood had rapidly changed, I didn't think it was a good one either. They both continued to shift closer, and as they came right up to me, I watched them bend in toward me, as if they were smelling me. They weren't going to catch anything mighty delicious here.

They backed away slowly, realising this. I was sure they could smell the infected blood that I had indulged in. That was nothing new for them, nothing like the smell of fresh, hot, human blood. _I_ would know. Finally, they stopped about a feet from where I stood. All the while, I'd been thinking of their names. I swear I knew them, and they were dangling from the end of my tongue. That was when I realised. "I know who you are." I pointed to the taller one, and then I poked my tongue out. "You have that slimy tongue." I said as he continued to stare at me dumbfounded. "And you," I turned toward the shorter man, "You slash with those deadly claws."

At that moment, I stole another peek at his bloodied claws and gasped. "What happened to you?" I hadn't even realised this before, maybe it was because I only saw one of his hands, but the other entire hand had been battered viciously. All elongated fingers were broken and shattered. He whined in protest. "I'm sorry." I said. I didn't know how he was feeling, but I knew that must have absolutely _hurt_. All I could think of at that moment was _yes_, I should have just run away from them, even with one clawed hand, it could still do serious damage.

The taller one coughed as the silence lengthened on… that cough triggered a faded memory. "Smoker." I whispered, "You're a Smoker." I smiled at the recollected thoughts, "You're the Hunter." I turned back to the other. I giggled with glee, "And I'm getting my memories back! This is great!" I jumped and clapped my hands, the weakness no longer affecting me. The infected on the other hand, shifted further back – almost as if _they_ were afraid of _me_.

Sure, this was one hell of a freaky scenario, even to be surrounded by the most dangerous of predators, but I actually felt better with them around. Although their situation was beyond weird to find them in the middle of a deserted street, I found myself indulging in their company. Loneliness was difficult to handle for lengthy periods of time, even if it was just a few days. I felt myself smiling, was I possibly, even the slightest, happy?

The Smoker's touch frightened me as he patted my shoulder, wanting my attention. The Smoker searched the street and limped over to a dead infected a few metres away from our spot and pointed at the body. He then came back and I heard the familiar slurp of his tongue extracting from his mouth as it grabbed the dead by the waist and tried to drag the body back to him. But it failed. "What's wrong with your tongue?" I sauntered over to the Smoker and glimpsed at the mangled tongue, it was covered in cuts and slices. It was a definite weakness for him.

"What happened to you two?" I gasped. They said nothing, of course, but I couldn't help the thought of another infected doing this to them, a stronger and deadlier one. I felt saddened by their injuries and thought about taking them along with me to help recover my lost thoughts. I could even help them find and capture food if they really needed it.

"You two are coming with me." I ordered, "I'll help you guys find the food you need. We can be… friends." I smiled at the both of them. "You can trust me." I winked. "Let's go." Feeling partly stupid by talking to myself, I continued down the path the Smoker had previously taken. At first, I didn't think they were going to follow me. Hell, I didn't even know if they could _understand_ what I was saying. But eventually, they strolled along behind me.

I led them east, further into the town I once knew well.

"So I'm guessing you guys are from Fairfield then?" I asked my new companions. Desperately, I gave them a moment to attempt to answer my question, but I heard nothing new from the constant coughs of the Smoker and a couple of whines from the Hunter.

"We should find you bandages for your claws, Hunter." I was concerned for his broken and damaged hand. "Hey, you don't mind if I call you two Hunter and Smoker? I mean, do you guys have _actual_ names?"

_Cough_.

"Well, it'll do for now then. We should have stopped by the hospital to scavenge for supplies to patch you two up. I guess we could always go back." We'd been on this route for a few hours now. We weren't going in any particular direction; I was just hoping something around here would trigger a memory that had been abandoned since my… sickness. It would take too much effort to stroll all the way back.

"Have you guys eaten recently?" We stopped for our hourly break; there was a shabby corner café that stood out from the dilapidated scenery. The pink curtains almost looked perfectly clean and tidy.

The Hunter leaned against the brick wall, before crouching with his arms lying against his knees. The Smoker remained standing. "Most of the common infected have died out, I'm guessing. We haven't really run into any trouble. I'd bet the Special Infected like yourselves would've found good hiding places, or stocked up on food before hand." None of them responded to my nonsense-talking so I just stopped talking altogether.

"Wait here." I sighed. I entered the tiny café, it was quite cute for an apocalypse-type outing. Nonetheless, I searched through the store and found nothing of important use. I exited and found the infected just as I left them. Geez, they looked so depressed. That only made me feel depressed.

We desperately needed supplies. They needed medical attention, and I needed weaponry against anything, well anyone, that could cause us harm. I knew of a medical centre about a block away from here, and I remembered a gun shop around the neighbourhood somewhere. I think it was near a restaurant.

"We're heading off. I'm taking you two to the medical centre only five minutes away from here. We'd better get going before nightfall." I offered to help the Hunter up, but he effortlessly stood with his hind legs. We arrived within a few minutes, and thankfully I remembered the centre. The windows had already been smashed in, so we stepped in unwelcomingly and I grabbed at anything that would help them. In the end, I managed to score two pain pills, an arm sling, three bandages and I also found a small pistol behind the reception desk.

"I want to find a safe place where we can stay the night, and so I can bandage you two up. We're lucky to have these supplies, you know." The Hunter growled. It wasn't anything to scare me, I hoped; it was more reassuring, as if he agreed with me. The Smoker let out a sigh and then viciously coughed.

"That sounds terrible. Are you okay?"

_Cough_.

Great.

I remembered metal doors. They were red, and always bolted shut. I knew that finding one of them would help us significantly. Except finding one was always difficult. In our case, it could be impossible. But after nearing the Burger Tank restaurant and spotting the gun store, the knots in my stomach unclenched slightly. At least if we ran into trouble, I'd do my best to rid of it as fast as possible.

"In here." I instructed the both of them as we stepped into the heavily barricaded store. Okay, so maybe that was a huge understatement. The place was literally a mess. Several survivors must have bombarded the store, as guns, rifles and shotguns were haphazardly left on benches, stools, and even on the floor. A can of ammo was perched high up on a shelf out of my reach. "Can you bring that down for me?" The Smoker obliged, and handed the can down so I could load an assault rifle.

Once loaded, the two infected eyed me suspiciously. I felt like I could read their minds. It was as if they were waiting for an opportune moment to escape. "I'm not going to hurt you." I eyed the both of them for a long moment. "I'm here to protect you." I placed the weapon down to emphasise my point. "I'll need you two to barricade the doors and windows for me." I pointed to the doors and windows, and then to the toppled shelves. Hoping they understood what mumbo-jumbo was coming out of my mouth, they stacked all kinds of misplaced objects against the open spaces.

"This'll be our safe room for tonight." I mumbled to myself.

As the hours passed, I watched as both the Smoker and the Hunter nestled into a deep sleep. I didn't think they'd be able to sleep, was it actually possible for them? I had to believe it was, these two retained huge pieces of their humanity. Frankly, I was quite surprised they didn't attack me when we first met. I was sure I'd be torn to shreds, or asphyxiated to death. They just seemed so harmless and so peaceful. Others just like them were completely different. I was lucky to have found these guys instead of them.

I witnessed the Hunter twitch in his sleep; his broken hand was placed into a sling and bandaged up tightly. The Smoker had taken some pills (okay, so maybe I forced them down…) and the slices and cuts on his tongue had also been bandaged. I'm not going to get into the gory details of me _touching_ the tongue either…

But after what seemed like forever, the silence had only lengthened on, and I was sure we were alone within the local district. I fell asleep, allowing myself to give in to unconsciousness.

The sound of gunfire roused me from my sleep. I felt groggy after the deep sleep, so much that the gunfire sounded like a normal routine I'd once undertaken. But as I realised the Hunter and the Smoker were panicking from the shock of the gunfire, I leapt from the floor and bolted to look through a tiny hole in the cluttered space. It led directly out to the street, but there was no sign of intelligent life.

We'd better get out of here anyway. "Let's go." I grabbed my assault rifle and the remaining medical supplies before we tore down the back door and climbed to the rooftop via the fire escape.

"Try not to be seen guys. The last thing I need for you two is to be dead." Hollowness filled my heart, as it was a likely possibility if we were caught. Not only them, but I'd be dead too.

It was easiest to stick by the rooftops, searching for the survivors that we'd heard moments before. Maybe we could capture them for an hour or two, just so the infected could feed. Boy, I knew I was starving, and even though the monster inside of me felt like it'd been silenced, I couldn't help but feel the nagging desire crawl underneath my skin.

I heard the menacing growl of Hunter as I spun around to face his view. Down below on the opposite side of the road were four survivors, none of them I'd ever seen before, but guessing by the looks on both of Hunter and Smoker's faces', I knew they were in for a treat. Hunter sank onto his haunches and just as I realised what he was about to do, I grabbed him by the shoulder and tackled him down.

He growled in protest and went to swipe at my face before Smoker grasped at his arm. My breath raced as I tried to calm down.

"I'm sorry Hunter. But doing that isn't going to help. They'd see you, and then they'd kill you! Even if you did manage to land on one of them, you wouldn't get a chance to feed very much!" I wasn't supposed to be giving him a lecture, but I god-damn deserved to! He hadn't almost been swiped in the face!

Hunter calmed himself down and struggled to free himself from my grasp. "I'll think of a plan to separate them. We can't take all four of them on, especially when they're heavily armed." I let go of Hunter and stood next to Smoker. "Just let me think of something."

As the minutes ticked by, the only idea that surfaced and was worth recognising and performing had to do. Time was wasting, and the survivors would only get further away if I didn't think of something _fast_.

"Hunter." I motioned for Hunter to look into my eyes, "I need you to create a sense of fear for the survivors," I pointed to the group that had momentarily taken a rest by a dilapidated video rental store. I gestured his clawing attack, and actually attempted to growl like him – though it failed terribly – just so my point could get across. "Just keep pouncing near the rooftops over there," I pointed to the opposite store. "I know you're arm is injured, but one arm is better than none. Plus, I know you can get through this one-armed. Hopefully one of them will trigger a car alarm." I then pointed to a flashing car only metres away from the throng. "Once the alarm is triggered, we're going to pray a horde will bombard them, and then while they're distracted, Smoker is going to grab one." I turned to look into his eye, and I could tell he was worried about his tongue. "You'll be fine," I smiled at him encouragingly.

I stopped talking for a moment and turned to look at the exhausted survivors. They reminded me of old friends I used to know. But sadly, none that I remembered.

_Cough_.

Oh, right.

"Smoker, while you're dragging one of them, is it possible to let go of them?" I signalled the entire action with both of my hands. He seemed to understand, unless I was only hoping they did. If such large pieces of their humanity remained, I was sure they should be able to understand at least _some_ form of human language. "I'll need you to let go of them so then Hunter can pounce onto him or her instead. Then, you can grab another one and drag him or her back towards you." I shuffled through the other ideas, but I knew they wouldn't be of much use. We were running out of time. "Hopefully the others will be too distracted, or even some other special infected will take them down."

I played the idea through my head. So far, it looked to be a success. There was just one more matter I had to address upon.

"Guys, there's something important I want you two to know. I know the point of this entire exercise is to feed on them, but you can't kill the two you catch. They're not personally _yours_. As soon as their down, or unconscious, leave them alone." I mumbled the last few words and stared at their reaction. Smoker seemed to obediently obey, whereas Hunter was eyeing them impatiently.

"Okay. Off you go then Hunter." I sighed.

I watched as he howled and leapt into the air, just making it onto the other side of the rooftop, his hand seemed pain-free. Smoker and I watched as the survivors jumped out of their skin with fright and immediately grabbed their weapons. Hunter continued his showing off, and my heart skipped a beat as the dark woman in the pink t-shirt tried to follow his movements, but instead backed into the front of the car.

The car screeched an ear splitting scream as a piercing howl tore through the air. They were coming…

It was so easy to watch as hundreds of infected poured into the vicinity, I remembered I had been in their spot, sharing their pain, but with others. I knew this was the worst part of the apocalypse.

Hunter joined both Smoker and I as we descended the stairs to an apartment next to our rooftop. I watched as Smoker extracted his tongue once more, the tongue shot out and twirled around a large, plump man with a purple and yellow polo shirt. The man struggled with the tongue as he was dragged metres away from his comrades. "Smoker let go!" I ordered.

He did so, and then Hunter took his meal as Smoker's tongue shot out a second time. Meanwhile, the throng of three had been vomited on, as a putrid smell filled the air. I could even smell it from here and struggled to force myself to remain calm. Again, Smoker's tongue latched onto a young male with a blue baseball cap and a yellow t-shirt, and I watched as he was dragged away.

I tore my eyes away from the sickening sight of them feeding on the survivors. I didn't want to imagine what I was like. I flinched from the cold thought and stalked the two survivors who were left alone fighting the thinning horde.

Once enough time had passed, I turned back toward Smoker and Hunter. Smoker had already savoured enough as his green t-shirt was drenched with fresh blood. His prey lay silent against the concrete. I could see his chest moving slowly. Moving towards Hunter, I realised he hadn't stopped, and the amount of blood shed from his prey was enough to feed many starving infected.

"Stop it Hunter!" I hissed at him. He hardly seemed to notice. "Hunter, I said _stop_!" Again, there was no response.

"I said we can't kill them!" I screamed at him, as anger emanated out of my exhausted body. I'd had enough with him. I tackled him over, launching him off his prey and holding him against the floor. But his strength outweighed mine. He glared at me with pure hate and growled. He tore himself from my grip and pounced out of view, over the rooftops. I forgot about him as I went to check on his abandoned survivor.

I took out the bandages from my holster and bandaged him securely along his tattered skin. My plans to feed them were out of line. It was a terrible idea, not to put us in danger, but them too. I could have killed this innocent man. And now I had a livid Hunter that probably didn't like me very much, scouring the area.

With my mind on other thoughts, I didn't notice any sounds from around me. Instead, I heard a piercing gunshot, and then a struggled sigh. I spun towards the sound, and watched as Smoker's body fell limp against the floor; a thick stinking fog filled the air. Blood drained from my face as the young survivor watched me intently.

I couldn't believe what happened. There was too much shock in my body to grasp the situation. Sadness came, but it didn't overwhelm me. I didn't allow it to. Nor, was I going to. I have to be the worst person alive on this planet. I was worse than the infected out here. I was worse than that stupid Hunter. I was worse than scum and dirt.

"ELLIS!" A loud male voice boomed.

"COACH!" A screeching female voice echoed – and it was close.

I stared back at the handsome man as he struggled to keep his eyes open. "I'm sorry." I whispered, and then fled in the opposite direction.

Aiming to keep out of the sight of the incoming survivors, I climbed back up the fire escape. I expected the Hunter to be up here with me, waiting for the perfect moment where he could feed on my flesh. But he wasn't here. He wasn't anywhere in sight.

Now, it was the Hunter I had to look out for.

Because then, I would be the hunted.

* * *

**A/N: It's a little long, but I'm just making up for the previous chapter, it was a little short.**

**Hope you guys are happy with this. Let me know about any suggestions/ideas/things you did and didn't like. No flames please!**

**A thanks to everyone for the support and guidance :)**


	9. Inner Turmoil

**Francis POV**

It took us two painful days of long, hard labour before we arrived back at the entrance of the dilapidated Mercy Hospital. I disallowed rest stops and sleep just so we could reach our destination as soon as possible. Sure, it was wrong, taking into account Bill's steadily declining health and vulnerable muscles, but all I could think about was seeing her again.

I tried to keep myself under control, but in doing so, it was unbelievably difficult. Through Louis's constant whines and complaints, my control was slipping under the pressure, and I knew soon enough, my control wasn't going to sustain. But the weird part was that I didn't want to lash out at Louis. I've inflicted such pain and torment among my comrades, that in damaging their morale, I was also damaging the good side to myself.

I knew they noticed how different I've been since the first few weeks that we came together as survivors. From the joking, big-bad-dude-attitude and laid back personality, I was now the moody, all-about-me, head-full-of-shit prick that ruined everyone's lives.

_I_ was the one who went to help Louis instead of keeping her safe.

_I_ was the one who left her behind.

_I_ was the one who shot the pilot.

_I_ was the one who brought them all back to the very spot where everything started.

Even though Louis and Bill might like me, I knew they'd rather throw me into a horde of infected ravening for my flesh, or push me off a building straight into the arms of a maliciously angry Tank, than to keep me on this spiteful, never-ending journey through Hell.

In the end, yes, I was sorry for everything I did. I was sorry for putting everyone through misery. But in doing so, I was searching for that one person who understands me, and accepts me for the awful bastard I am. Nor, was I going to stop until she was found.

"Home, sweet home." Louis chimed as we shoved through the barricaded front glass-shattered doors.

"Yeah, yeah." I mumbled under my breath as I headed for the stairs.

"Just let me sit for a bit, will you?" Bill took a seat against the blood-splattered wall and lit a second cigarette. He sighed as he found a comfortable position by the floor. "You've been busting my bones for two days, son. I'm not the man I used to be."

"Maybe you should stop with the cigarettes, old man. The deeper you drag the sooner you'll die." Bill cast me a glare before he settled down once more and closed his eyes. That wasn't the best thing to say, but hell, I was bursting with impatience! We were only a number of floors apart!

"Look, if you're gonna sit here all damn day, let me know. Otherwise, I'd like to get started in _finding __**Zoey**_."

Louis looked toward Bill as his eyes rested on mine. "Go find her, Francis." He sighed.

That was enough for me.

I sprinted from the room, and collided into the double doors, somersaulting over piles of cardboard boxes before bolting for the stairs at the end of the corridor. "I'm coming for you, darlin'." I bounded up three stairs at a time; my breath was coming in haggard gasps as I pulled out onto the fourth floor.

The corridor was in a complete state of destruction, with blood and bodies covering the expanse of the floor. My heart jumped a beat as the silence lengthened on. There was no sign of the Witch, no sign of life, no sign of her.

"**Zoey**." I counted to five.

"_**ZOEY**_." I counted up to ten. The pain that tore through me was enough to leave me blinded and paralysed on the floor. For all the effort and reliability that I mustered for this task, I knew in my head that she was going to be here. Yet, maybe she still was.

I entered every room, getting on my knees to search under the bed, cutting my skin against the glass to see if she was hanging on outside. Fuck, I was desperate.

It was that one room I entered… that I knew. Without a doubt, I just knew it. She was in here. A battered chair lay tossed on its side; droplets of red blood showered the material of the cushion. The room was in a state of ruin as I observed the blood, both red and –_gulp_- black that splattered the walls, and pooled the tiles on the floor. I walked over to the side of the bed where a bloodied hand stain was cast on the wall. I raised my left hand over the bloodied stain and grimaced. It was hers. Her small hand was only half the size of mine. I could feel the overwhelming pressure that swallowed me entirely. I felt the tears trickle down my cheeks. I didn't want the guys to see me like this. Not when I appeared so… _vulnerable_.

I heard the footsteps before I saw them, and I pulled myself together as I wore my tough mask that shadowed over the mourning man inside of me.

"Any sign of her Francis?" Louis shouted from the corridor.

"She was in here." I choked and tried again, "In here." I said. They followed me inside and I watched as their gazes turned to surprise and then to suspicion.

"She's not here." Bill whispered with a hint of disbelief in his eyes. "Where'd she go?"

We eyed each other without saying anything. I didn't know what they were thinking. But for her not to be in here meant she was either rescued, she saved herself, or the worst alternative – which I wasn't going to mention.

"Guess we should get going then." Louis whispered. He looked at me with sorrow in his eyes and then left the room.

Bill stood back for a few seconds as he watched my inner self be tortured. "We'll be outside when you're ready." He nodded and then shut the door behind him.

No words could describe how I felt. The confusion that washed over me was enough to tackle me down on the floor. If she wasn't here, then where the hell was she? Her blood sprinkled against everything in the room, but if she were to be… dead, where was her body? There was no time to tell how fast it could have decomposed. But even then, I couldn't admit it to myself. If she wasn't dead, if there was no body, where and… _what_ was she?

NO.

She wasn't one of… them. She must have saved herself, or someone else might have. Maybe she's with a whole other group of survivors, and she's safe and sound. Maybe she was happy with these other people. Maybe one of the dudes made her happy. Maybe they're a happy couple together.

NO _NO __**NO**_.

I need to get the fuck outta here. I slammed the door on my way out and rushed down the stairs to meet the guys. Before I interrupted them with my entrance, I caught a hint of what they were talking about.

"You knew she wasn't going to be here. You shouldn't have let us come." It was Louis.

"Louis, you know how Francis is. Even if we didn't let him come, he would have left us and gone by himself." He sighed.

"Maybe its better he went by himself."

Bill shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But after seeing his reaction, he's gonna need some company around for a while. Imagine the shit he'd do if he was on his own in his condition." I heard Bill's heavy boots thump against the linoleum as he circled the room.

"Probably kill a whole lot of zombies, I'd say."

"Kid, I ain't talking about killing zombies here. I mean, he's in a gigantic building with several floors. Do you get where I'm going with this?"

Louis gasped. "But, he wouldn't? Would he?"

Would I? I don't think I have it in me to do _that_. Even though Zoey was the love of my current life, now that she was gone, would I result in doing that? I didn't hear Bill say anything next, so I entered the room solemnly and stared at the floor. "Guess we should get goin' now, huh?"

Both sets of eyes met mine and nodded. No one mentioned anything as we walked silently out of the hospital.

Even though we were so familiar with the ear-splitting, heart-thumping howl that tore through the atmosphere, hearing it in complete and utter dead silence was enough to put us all on edge. I raised my shotgun and clenched it in my gloved hands, waiting and watching for the street to come alive. "Brace yourselves." Bill commanded. The three of us created a triangular watch in order to find where the hell these zombies were coming from. Across the T intersection, we all took a vantage point and guarded each others backs. But nothing came.

"What the fuck was that?" I growled through the incoming horde. "Did we do anything?"

"Not likely. Unless they heard your giant thumping footsteps as we exited the hospital."

I turned to Louis and raised an eyebrow, "Was that supposed to be _funny_?"

Bill calmed down as he lit his cigarette. I have no clue where the hell that man keeps those death sticks… or finds them. "Keep it down. We'll search the area. Maybe there are other survivors out here."

That lit the light bulb that had been flickering above my head. "Zoey." I breathed. Before anyone else responded I was sprinting for the horde, trying to stay on track as to where I heard their evil, demonic screams. I heard the others following behind me, attempting to keep up with my long stride and rapid speed. The adrenaline that exploded through my body woke me up, and enlightened me with warmth and a deadly revenge.

"Yo Francis, wait up will you?" I heard Louis's cries far behind me. Ignoring them with ease, I continued toward the progressing snarls of the incoming infected. "Take care of Billsy." I shouted behind me.

I circled around to the main street of Fairfield, and what I saw surprised the hell outta me. Infected had poured into the vicinity, yet half had already been annihilated with gruesome shots to the head and heart. I glimpsed two survivors down the end of the street skilfully using their weapons to extinguish the final few infected left. My heart grew heavy and dull as I realised none of them were Zoey. That didn't mean I was giving up, because I knew she was still out there, and that she was alive.

"ELLIS!" A loud male voice boomed. He was one of the survivors who held out and defeated the horde. His white suit contrasted against the pink T-shirt of his female companion.

"COACH!" The second voice was much softer, definitely female. But definitely not Zoey. I witnessed them running to an alleyway before they disappeared from sight. I followed obediently; realising there was more survivors and higher chances of them having seen Zoey. I turned into the alleyway and watched them from the corner. There were four of them altogether; the two who took care of the horde were helping their fallen comrades.

"Oh no. No, no, no. Please tell me Coach is still alive." The female cried. She struggled to keep her tears under control. She stumbled over to the large man, guessing that he was Coach, and felt for a pulse. She laughed hysterically and grabbed the attention of the man in the white suit. "He's still alive." She calmed herself down and talked again, "How's Ellis?"

The man in the suit kept his calm façade and went to lean by the wall, "He'll be fine. We'll have to haul both of them back to the safe room." He tucked his pistol back into his holster and rubbed the sweat from his forehead. "Fuck, that was a close one."

"Guess you two might need a hand, eh?" I walked toward them slowly, realising that they were armed, and that they probably thought that I was infected.

"Have you been bitten, mister?" The female cast me a suspicious glance and stood from the floor.

I grunted. "I've been out here doing this shit longer than you two. C'mon now, lemme give you a hand."

The man in the suit didn't attempt to move, "We don't need your help." He met my eyes with a stony cold glance and shifted from one foot to the other.

"Nick you don't have to be so rude." The female chimed in before she turned to look at me, "We'd appreciate the help. My name is Rochelle by the way." She gave me a small smile before kneeling by their comrades. "You reckon you can give me a hand with Coach, here?"

I shrugged, "Sure thing. I've got two others coming to help. They should be here any second. The name's Francis." I smiled back at the girl before I turned to glare at the suit. I kneeled casually by the wall waiting for Bill and Louis to hurry the hell up. "So how'd you startle the horde? Did suit here pull a wrong move?"

Upon hearing that, suit leapt from his position and stalked over towards me. I flew to my feet and towered over his figure. "Listen here prick, we don't need your damn help, so get on the hell outta here, understand?" Suit shoved his finger into my chest and glared viciously.

Hell no.

I grabbed his arm and shoved him into the brick wall, twisting it painfully as I pulled on the muscle. He winced out in pain. "Call me prick again and next time I won't be so gentle." I _could_ have blown him to shreds. I _could_ have smashed his skull into two. I _could_ have been that asshole that messes up everyone's lives, but I wasn't. Giving him a solitary warning was damn good enough for me.

Fucking bastard.

"Nick, this isn't the time for shit. Francis, please let go of him." Rochelle ordered from behind us. "It was my fault." She flinched. "I startled the horde by backing up into that stupid car. I was trying to shoot a Hunter from the rooftops. Just let go of each other and act civilised, these two need medical attention!"

I let go of the suit and shoved him away from me. "Sorry." I mumbled. Rochelle looked between the two of us to make sure the fight was over before she knelt by the fallen men once more. As I went to join her, a rock hard fist connected with my jaw and I was sent flying back into the wall.

"You fucking asshole!" I hollered and tackled suit down by the waist. His leg collided with my calf that sent a painful wave coursing throughout my body. Before I knew it, Nick was flung off me and sent sprawling to the ground.

"Act your damn age." Bill and Louis had joined the party; Louis was further back, eyeing the fight with huge dislike. It was Bill who helped me up and patted down the shit from my vest. "Who're these guys, Francis?"

"That's Rochelle there, and the dickhead who attacked is Nick." I spat his name with pure disgust.

Bill fumed from head to toe as his face clouded a deep red. "Right." He grumbled, "Francis, Rochelle and Louis can take the older man. Nick, you're helping me carry the young one. My name is Bill, and Louis is behind. If anyone even thinks about muttering a single word of hatred towards the other, you'll both be locked outta the safe room tonight. Let's get on with it." Bill ordered as each and every one of us shut our mouths as we carried their sorry asses to the closest safe room.

"We left a safe room just around the corner from here." Rochelle puffed as we held Coach by his torso.

We set both Coach and Ellis down by the couches and ensured they were fit for the night. What struck me in hindsight was Coach's bandaged abdomen. "Who put those bandages on him?" I questioned with confusion.

Both Rochelle and Nick turned to stare at Coach and lifted his polo shirt an inch. Underneath the shirt revealed several large bandages wrapped around his torso. "Looks like he's been bleeding through." Rochelle stammered. "Did you do this?" She questioned Nick.

Nick looked just as confused. "Ellis couldn't have done it, you reckon? Who the hell would have done that?"

This was my opportune moment, "By any chance, have you guys come across any other survivors on your way out here?" I asked quietly. Rochelle and Nick gazed at each other with thought.

"It's always been us four. We haven't seen anyone else around for miles. We suspected everyone was, well… dead." Rochelle gulped and seated herself against a couch. Why didn't we ever find a safe room with couches?

"So no one then?" I mustered up as much strength and toughness as possible to prevent my vulnerable self pierce through.

"Did you not just hear us?" Nick muttered.

I glared at the suit. "Why, you still searching for loved ones out here? Not to pull down your morale or anything, but honey, there hasn't been many survivors around for a long while." Rochelle gave me a sympathetic look.

"We just… _lost_ someone about a week ago. Thought you mighta seen her." I choked before gathering myself together.

"I'm sorry." She furrowed her eyebrows, "I wish we had."

"You ever think she's infected by now?" Suit asked as he sat by the wall.

That could have been it. The red sirens were flashing in my head again. I wanted to grab the little punk and throw him against the wall, smashing his face against it. I closed my eyes and let calmness wash over my rage that built inside me like wildfire. It took everything I had within me to ignore what he just said. Out of all people that could have survived this hell of a zombie apocalypse, why'd the assholes have to make it through? I opened my eyes again and stared at the floor.

"Francis." Bill sighed.

"Don't give me _shit_ old man! I've _had enough!_ You don't think I've heard what you guys have said behind my _damn back_! Zoey is still out there! I'm not going to _fucking leave her!_" Although everyone in the room was against me, taking them down would be an easy task to undertake. I'd fucking show them all.

"I know you've probably heard some things we've said, Francis. But have you ever thought about the alternative?" Bill asked.

I shook my head, "Don't talk to me. I'm going to ignore everything you say. None of it's true." I mumbled.

"Francis, we don't know where her body is. If she were dead, her body would have been there. What other solution is there to believe? For Christ's sake there was both red and _black_ blood splattered within that room! Have you not considered she's one of _them_?"

Silence. Pure and utter silence. It was hard ignoring what the old man was saying. Not when you had a monster slashing your insides, desperately finding a way out of the torture. Even then, I couldn't hold it in. It needed to be released. Because the Francis I was trying to be, wasn't me. And it sure as hell wasn't helping me. I _knew_ in my bruised and broken heart that she was _not_ going to be one of the monsters out there.

"She's not one of them!" I shouted and leapt from the floor as fury surged within my veins.

"_She's not fucking one of THEM_!" Out of pure rage I snatched a nearby chair, and with magnificent and malicious force, it shattered against the wall and splintered into tiny wooden pieces.

The beast within me had been unleashed.

* * *

**A/N: I have to say it was actually fun to write this chapter. I haven't been on Fan Fiction for how many weeks now, so its good to be back and writing!**

**A big thank you to the fans for the encouragement and support of this story, especially LinkinPark110, Shining Freak, deeemmi douu, Emmaleigh and compa16! I appreciate and love every one of you guys! **

**Let me guys know what you like and dislike. I'll be happy to hear your thoughts and opinions about the story, so don't be shy to answer!**

**I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Xmas and happy holidays :)**


	10. Escape and Realisation

**Zoey's POV**

Run like hell!

I ran as far as my legs could carry me, leaping over rooftops and beating my way through broken windows.

That rapid escape was too close for comfort; it was ridiculously stupid of me to have made such a mistake. All because of my foolish actions, I had a friend shot to death, and an enemy hunting me down for revenge.

Then there was me, with a pistol in my hand and a bottle of pills attached to my holster, left alone surviving through a zombie apocalypse.

Fuck. I was better off dead.

As I climbed down the squeaking fire escape, my foot missed the next rung of the ladder and I was sent spiralling to the asphalt. My head connected to the ground and as I let out a stifled moan, the sounds of rapid, clumsy footsteps and sharp howls tore through the atmosphere. From the ground, I shifted my head backwards and witnessed the sight of a small horde of infected bolting towards me.

Groaning from the lack of rest, I gripped the ladder to steady my weight and reached for my pistol. I turned it off safe mode and pulled the trigger as they stalked closer. After seven consecutive headshots, the remaining infected had caught up to me and scratched at my red train jacket. I flicked my pistol back onto safe mode and crammed it back into my holster as I elbowed the infected to my right.

I hooked the infected opposite me in the nose, his bones crushed into his brain as he fell in a lifeless heap. An infected on my left bit into my jacket, but I ignored it as I clipped an infected woman that appeared on my right before spinning around and upper-cutting the infected who gnawed at my jacket right against his jugular.

That was the last of them, for now. I stood amongst a heap of dead infected and admired my skills.

"Damn Zoey." I laughed to myself before I heard the familiar screech of the Hunter nearby.

Shit. Snap outta it Zoey. Stay on your guard!

I continued to sprint as far out of the city of Fairfield as fast as I could. I theorised the probability of the Hunter following me out of town, but I knew I would appear safer out in the grasslands outside Fairfield, rather than inside a city populated with the walking undead – wait, scratch that – infected.

The growl behind me shrieked with menace as I pushed my legs faster, my muscles screaming at me to let the pain stop. But it was life or death in a situation like this. I was alone now, and there was nothing I could do to defend myself against special infected. If I was constricted by a Smoker, or shredded by a Hunter (which was most likely the case) I'd be a goner. I needed back-up. I needed the help of other survivors. There had to be survivors out here somewhere…

My mind skipped back toward yesterday's scene with the Smoker and the Hunter. I'd risked the lives of two survivors, and they were probably the only four survivors left in this city. I couldn't believe how stupid I was to put them in danger. It was even worse when one of them saw me. Even if I was desperate enough to find these survivors (which I was), the younger one would dob me in for trying to kill him and his friend. And then, they'd simply kill me.

Gees… this really isn't my night.

The shriek behind me tore me from my thoughts as I built up enough courage inside of me to fight off the Hunter that wanted me dead… and as his meal. I let my stamina decrease to a jog, before I turned completely around to face my predator.

He was easy to distinguish along the elongated street splattered with brains and blood. He stood directly opposite me, his stance was menacing, as he arched his back and rocked his claws by his sides. I watched as he pulled his hoodie from his chin, up to his eyes, revealing a blood-stained grin, his lips tainted by the flesh of the innocent. His beady, yellowed eyes shot down the street like headlights, illuminating everything in his path, all the way up to me.

He was planning on making me his meal for tonight.

I thought otherwise.

"Come get some." I snarled.

The Hunter howled hysterically as he sank onto his haunches and leapt from his point. My heart quickened in pace as I watched him pounce against the brick wall of a building, he pushed off his hind legs and jumped to the store on the opposite side of the road – all the while getting closer to me. After his third hurdle, he bounded over my head to build up his momentum for the final leap. His continuous howls grew in tumult as I snatched my pistol from my holster and waited for the perfect moment to strike. Too soon – and he'd be wounded, too late – and I'd be dead.

He circled me by pouncing against the buildings within the street; his landings were masked by his growls that split through the afternoon air. His momentum built rapidly, as I realised my chances of surviving this were slim. I had to think of something to distract him. That, or I could just run for it. But in this situation, he'd catch up to me within a heartbeat and everything I had fought for would be for naught.

I watched the Hunter's leaps, and swerved my body in his direction. My fingers were itching to pull the trigger as I raised my pistol and followed his movements.

Then I realised he was only doing this to taunt me. He knew that as my fear increased, I'd have a lesser chance of being able to shoot him. That smart son of a bitch. I allowed all my anxiety and fear wash away from my body. To kill him, I needed a steady shot at the perfect time.

That was when the Hunter's howls halted. I was left standing in a deserted street, my heartbeat twitching at random beats. I breathed deeper, allowing my heartbeat to steady. My chance was coming.

I figured the Hunter was among one of the rooftops, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. I didn't look up to see where he was. I didn't look up at all. I kept my eyesight lowered, my eyes on the windows opposite me, and waited…

He didn't howl or pierce his signature growl as he set off for flight. He was silent as the city itself, as the dead were among it. I continued to wait…

It seemed as if time slowed down, as if everything were moving in extra slow motion. The Hunter was above me, halfway through his flight.

_3…_ I heard my heart pound its final beat.

_2…_ I heard his claws outstretch.

_1…_ I leapt.

I dived to the right of me, and rolled against the harsh asphalt as I landed with my pistol aiming directly at the Hunter's head.

The Hunter landed a second too late, his claws stretched out as he landed in a crouch.

My finger pulled at the trigger, he let out a piercing cry and his body fell limp.

I remained lying on the stone cold cement, hearing my heartbeat stabilise to a steady beat. The exhaustion that had been hitting me for days finally took its course as every limb fell slack. My eyelids grew heavy as darkness swam through my vision.

A deep, menacing growl tore through my body, as I realised I was starving. It's been days since I've had a decent meal. All the blood I'd swallowed made me feel sick inside and I was glad that monster inside of me had been silenced. I overcame the sickness that threatened to infect me, and to lead me to a lifetime of violence and suffering.

I was thankful to be back to my normal self. My vision still swept random images across my mind, and I knew that there was a lot of information and knowledge that I was missing out on. I just had no clue as to how I was going to get everything back.

A distant roar echoed throughout the street. I sat up stiffly, and prepared myself if a horde were to come. But nothing came. Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me. Maybe my sanity was already thinning out. It was hard enough to regain my humanity back, but my sanity? Once it's gone, it not coming back.

"Nice job Zoey. Now you're hearing things." I mumbled to myself as I stood from the ground. I planted my pistol into my holster as I scavenged the street for food and further supplies. Every store had shattered windows, barricaded by wooden planks. Doors were unhinged, others didn't even have doors. I stumbled in unwelcomingly and searched through every shelf and draw. But nothing was of important use.

I continued to the next, and then the next after that, and then the whole entire street had been searched. I kicked down the door to the last store, hoping not to surprise any roaming infected, and then scavenged for the useful goods. The store was a café. Behind all the blood and guts, it was a welcoming place. The front counter displayed cookies and cakes behind a glass covering. I launched my pistol through the glass and grabbed at a stale biscuit and a mouldy muffin.

"Better than blood." I muttered as I stashed the food into the pockets of my jacket.

I whirled around and I was grabbed by an infected woman, she had her arm around my neck as another man grabbed at my ankle. I remained calm, knowing that if I panicked, more infected would come to the scene. I grabbed at her arm and tried to pull her away. She groaned and tightened her slack against my neck. The other man had reached along my calf, his nails digging in against my skin.

I held my pistol in my left hand as I pulled the trigger and shot through the woman's hip. She screamed as blood escaped her lips. Before she could grab me again I shot her through the neck, blood splattering across my jacket and face. I fought the urge to gag as I kicked the man on the floor in the mouth, and shot him through the back of his head.

My breath came out in rapid wheezes as I leaned against the broken glass counter. I couldn't take it any more. I gagged, but nothing came. Not even blood. I dry heaved until I could contain myself. I felt sick to the core.

I unzipped my jacket and rubbed my face clean of blood and grime. This was one hell of an afternoon. I realised the sun was setting, so I pulled myself together and stole a few more goodies from the counter. Before I left I searched through the cash register in case someone had left a pistol or an explosive. But all that was left was coins and dollar notes.

"Damn it." I sighed.

I leant down and searched through the shelves. A glint of silver caught my eye as I found a pistol hidden beneath the glassy remains.

I smiled with glee, "Now that's what I'm talkin' about." I swiftly grabbed the pistol and exited the café before I stumbled into further trouble.

I darted my eyes along the street, recognising that there was nothing left for me here. This city was overrun with zombies and escaping survivors. It was better to get myself out of here than to deal with the remains. So I headed east, toward the entrance of Fairfield, silently saying goodbye to the home I grew to love.

I walked along the grasslands, and questioned myself as to where I was going to go next. Pennsylvania was always open; my one true home was still home. But I knew Pennsylvania was swarming with infected, and everyone I knew was probably one of them. I cringed at the thought of my parents and wiped the tears that escaped.

I took a breath and kept my sight straight. That was when something in the distance caught my attention. A torrent of smoke whirled high in the air over an immense dark object. I couldn't comprehend what it was from this distance, but no doubt it was a vehicle.

Despite my exhaustion, I found myself jogging over to the massive wreck. I realised survivors could be out here.

"Hello!" I called out. There was no answer.

The closer I came to the wreckage; I recognised that it was a smashed helicopter. The only body I could vaguely see was an infected man dressed in his flight gear. He must have been the pilot. But where were the survivors? Why didn't I ever come across any survivors!

Among the debris and the remains of the charred metal, a black object called out to me. It was swaying in the light breeze of the early night. The piece of black was caught between shards of glass, and the closer I came to the object, the more it looked like a piece of clothing.

I was careful to avoid my skin scratching against the glass as I grasped at the black leather. I pulled it out cautiously and held it close to me. I sniffed the piece of leather, and then it all came back to me.

The reason why I was out here, the few months I've spent fighting through this apocalyptic world. All of the bites, scratches and scars. All of the near death experiences. Everything rushed back, all of the gruesome fighting for salvation. But not only that. I remember my friends – the family that we became after the first two weeks of this hell. I remember _him_.

I remember his sarcastic remarks, his bad boy attitude and his fearless demeanour towards the zombies. I remember his crude behaviour and his hate for almost everything in the world. I remember his smell, the musky scent mixed in with his sweat. I remember his face, and how he used to hold me through the chilly nights when I felt alone.

"Francis." I breathed.

I knew he was still out there.

And I was going to find him.

* * *

**Bill's POV**

"How long has he been out there for?" I asked as I lit another cigarette.

"Could be ten, or twenty minutes by now." The girl opposite me – Rochelle I think her name was – answered. She reminded me of Zoey, not just because she was a woman, but there was a careful determination to her, she yearned to reach salvation. I knew by looking at her, she was going to get it. She was strong, stronger than Zoey.

"You think we should bring him back inside?" Louis asked.

I shrugged. "He needs to get it out of his system. If we go and get him, he'll lash out at us." I took a long drag and sighed with contentment.

Rochelle's lip quivered, "I'm surprised he didn't lash out at us."

Nick who was sitting next to her cracked his knuckles, "Wish he did. I'd show that bastard." He muttered under his breath.

"Hold your tongue, son." I pointed my finger at him, "You two better quit this nonsense. Never turn your back on an ally. We're fighting a damn apocalypse, kid!" I barked.

I watched as Nick sat upright, about to bite back before Rochelle slapped him at the back of his head. "Nick, why don't you help me wash the plates?" Rochelle ordered as she started piling the dirty plates we'd just eaten from.

He grumbled, never taking his eyes off mine. "Fine."

I glared at him as he stalked out of the room.

"Do you trust them?" I heard Louis whisper next to me as soon as they left the room.

I took a second drag, and sighed, "Not the suit."

Louis chuckled next to me. Full from the food Rochelle cooked, I stood from the couch and limped over to the safe room door. Francis was still out there, alright. Nothing could stop that man. Not at a time like this. I didn't even worry as he became surrounded by swarming infected. He continued on strong, just like a soldier.

I watched as he grabbed an infected by the back of the head, he twisted his neck and then smashed his face against the brick wall, blood splattering his clothes. Of course, any person in their right mind would flinch from seeing something as terrible as that. But war changes everything about you. I've seen it all. And hell, I knew where the boy was coming from. The end of the world changes you, shapes you into a different person from the one you were before.

But this was still Francis. My lips pulled up in a smile as I remembered how it all began.

* * *

**Francis' POV**

I felt the monster escape the confines of my body. All of the rage, the stress, and the hurt built into a tornado of angst that needed to be unleashed. I wasn't going to be a dick and bash everyone here. I stormed out of the safe room, and kicked the metal door down with immense power as it dented from the force of my foot and burst open.

I turned a direct left and was out in the main street of Fairfield. Infected swarmed the area as I stalked up to one. He was leaning selflessly against the brick wall; I grabbed the back of his head and crushed his skull into the wall, his blood splattered over everything within a foot of the surrounding. This caught the attention of two others who sprinted towards me. I grabbed the female and twisted her neck. I heard her neck crack and split, the force of it disentangled her spine as she fell limp. The male scratched at my skin, and as I let out a snarl, I head butted his forehead and shoved him to the ground and compressed his head with my foot.

A familiar screech tore into the street as I recognised the sneer of a Smoker. I saw him from the rooftop above me and I watched as his tongue shot out with quick speed. I grabbed at his tongue and pulled with all the power I could muster, the Smoker snarled and fell off the rooftop and tumbled to the ground. I snapped his tongue in two and landed a punch to his boiled face.

From the loud outcry of the Smoker, I observed as several infected bolted from down the street, their cries piercing and fearless. They surrounded me within a minute, I mustered every last ounce of strength within me and destroyed them. One infected I kicked in the groin and then launched both my hands over his ears in a thunderous strike that cracked his skull. The next I grabbed by the head and sent his head soaring into the brick wall, his blood showered every one of us as I let his body go. I ignored the bites and scratches from the infected, and instead focused on annihilating them one at a time.

I grabbed the next one and kneed it in the stomach, it snarled and swiped at my knee before I grabbed its body and flung it into the swarm. I turned around and kicked a woman in the neck, once hearing the bone crack I punched her chest and she was sent spiralling to the floor. Before I could turn around, a male grabbed at my neck and jumped onto my back. I shrieked from his force and grabbed his arm and flipped his entire body over mine and sent his back smashing against the asphalt.

I howled into the night and bolted towards the infected that were sprinting towards me. I collided into one, my hand shaped into a punch, tore into his nose as he let out his final cry.

Bloodied and breathless, the growl of a Hunter pierced into the night. I steadied myself and watched for the approaching creature. I spotted movement in my peripheral vision as, claws outstretched, it leapt towards me. Before I let him tackle me down, I grabbed onto his arms and we flew to the ground, spiralling over each other as I landed on top of him. He yelped, unfamiliar in this position and I punched his face and knocked the back of his head continuously into the cement.

"Damn pricks. Too easy." I muttered.

I stood from the ground, almost hoping for a Tank to come pounding down the street. Even then, I didn't think I would be able to take it, because after I was killed, it would have gone for the others. I didn't want that, unless it was Nick the Tank was going for. I chuckled at the thought.

I limped back toward the safe room, my angst clearly satisfied. I could still go for a little more, except there were no more infected left roaming this street. Those fuckers were already dying out. I'd have to wait until I thought of a plan of action. I suspected the others weren't going to help me find Zoey, but even so, I was still going to search. Then, my angst would be satisfied!

I entered back into the safe room, and closed the metal door behind me. The dents I created had unhinged it and it was unable to be completely locked. Ah well. We weren't going to stay here long anyway.

I turned around and ignored the glimpses from the others. No one dared to say anything as I immediately sat down, sighed and rested my head in my hands.

* * *

**Bill's POV**

He came back in, and after struggling with the safe room door, he sat down and kept to himself. None of us made any attempt to talk to him; we'd give him the time to come to himself. I took my last drag from my cigarette before it flickered to the ground and I stomped on the ashes.

I turned towards the unconscious survivors in the corner of the room. Coach, the larger man hadn't moved at all. I was worried the man wasn't going to wake up. It was also mysterious as to how his torso was patched together. My thoughts were that the younger one, Ellis, had patched him up before an infected got him.

My vision shifted towards Ellis as he stared back at me. "He's awake." My heart jolted in my chest as I was glad to see him alive. The more survivors in the group, the safer we'd all be.

"Ellis!" Rochelle leapt from the couch and helped the young man up. "Sweetie, how are you feeling? Do you want something to eat? I hope you ain't hurting too much. I've got some pills for you." The young man chuckled as he stood straight.

"Rochelle, you're too good to me. I'm fine, but I could sure do with somethin' to eat." His gaze followed every one of us as he smiled.

"Sure thing honey, I'll be right back." Rochelle swiftly left the room as Ellis took a seat next to Nick.

"Good to see you're alive, kid. It's been too quiet around here." Nick said as he leaned further back into the couch.

"Feels good to be back with y'all. So err, Nick, who are these guys?" Ellis asked politely.

Louis stood and shook hands with Ellis, "I'm Louis. Good to see you're doing okay. We were worried." Louis offered him a smile before sitting back down.

"Well it's good to meet you." He smiled back.

Ellis turned to me as I sighed, "I'm Bill." I nodded and then held my hand out toward our comrade, "That's Francis."

"Nice to meet y'all."

Rochelle entered into the room with a warm bowl of soup. "Hope that warms you up, honey." She smiled before rubbing his back.

"Thanks Rochelle. Boy, I'm starvin'!"

Rochelle giggled and then seated herself on the floor. "Ellis." She started. "After you're done, we want to talk to you about what happened."

I watched as the boy's expression swiftly changed. His lips quivered only for a moment before he smiled, "Well sure." He started digging into his food as he slurped the soup within a few minutes.

His cheeks flushed as he realised he had everyone's attention on him. He set his bowl down before making himself comfortable. "Well uh, after Rochelle startled the car alarm, I saw Coach bein' dragged by that damn Smoker. So, course I went to help him out. But next thing I know, the Smoker's got me!" I watched as Ellis' expression changed to confusion, then to realisation. He eyed us all and then continued with the facts. "Before I know it, Coach is bein' shredded by the Hunter and I thought we were both gonna die."

Rochelle gulped as silence filled the room. "What happened after that?" she whispered.

"I guess you guys came after that. Thank the lord you came when ya did. I was scared we were gonna lose Coach." All six pairs of eyes glanced towards Coach in a solemn silence. Rochelle leant over to Ellis and placed her hand on his knee.

"Sweetie, I know some parts might seem hazy to you. But uhm…" Rochelle stopped mid-sentence and stared at me. I nodded to urge her on, waiting to hear Ellis' reply. "Did you patch Coach up?"

Ellis' expression shifted a second time, before it ended in surprise, "N-no I didn't. Glad he was patched up though." Ellis chuckled. I glared at him without meaning to. I knew the kid was hiding something. Someone must have patched Coach up; there was no other evidence to prove otherwise.

Nick straightened up in his seat, "Dude, that's total bullshit."

Ellis stiffened in his seat, "What is total bullshit, Nick?"

"Kid, we're asking _how_ Coach was patched up! Did you _see_ anyone there?" Nick raised his voice, I could see he wanted to slap Ellis one.

"I didn't see no one. And I have no idea how Coach was patched up y'hear?"

Everyone stopped with the questioning and the accusations. We all knew it as a fact. Someone had patched Coach up. If it wasn't Ellis, then who was it? I sat quietly to myself as the others started another conversation. Obviously, an infected wouldn't have patched him up, so that's crossed off the list. If there were other survivors helping out, they would have shown themselves earlier. I wouldn't see why they would decide to disappear in the last minute.

My mind skipped automatically to Zoey. Even though deep inside I knew she was either dead, or infected, I couldn't help but think she was behind all of this. Maybe she was in the alleyway, and maybe she patched Coach up and then ran for it. That's something Zoey would do.

I shifted my sight towards Francis. He remained silent throughout the entire interrogation, and still continued to do so. He was in deep thought, almost as if he were thinking exactly what I was thinking. I turned back toward Ellis and interrupted their conversation, "Son, did you see a woman in a red jacket back there? Did she patch Coach up?"

Ellis stared at me and self consciously thought for a moment. "Naw, I didn't see a woman. I didn't see anyone at all." A guilty expression flashed across his features as he smiled at me before returning to the conversation with Nick.

Normally, I can read anyone like an open book, and I know for a fact that the kid was lying. He wasn't able to steady his facial expressions while he was talking. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from the conman next to him.

Nonetheless, I knew Zoey had been there, and that she was alive.

My eyes flickered toward Francis. He finally positioned himself upright and glared at me, almost as if he were thinking, 'I told you so.'

I twisted my lip into a wicked smile before pulling out a cigarette from my secret stash.

"Let's get you cleaned up Francis." Rochelle offered.

I watched Francis leave the room, his eyes never leaving mine.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter!  
Just really wanted to say thanks for sticking with me this far guys! I know the plot may seem a little complicated, and probably gets a little boring, but I promise I'll make up for it by the end. I've planned everything for the rest of the story, and I hope you guys will continue and hopefully, grow to like it!  
A major thank you to all who reviewed + alerted, and offered support and constructive criticism. Huge thanks to The Shining Freak, VampAcademychick120, VastGranada and xAme-chan! I love every one of you guys for it.  
Also, if anyone wants to voice any ideas or opinions, I'll do my best to fit it in with the story. :)  
Over and out!**


	11. Unexpected Visitor

**Bill's POV**

Ellis yawned, "Well, I think I'm gonna hit the hay. My muscles are hurtin' and all."

Rochelle stood from the couch and helped Ellis, "C'mon honey, up you get." She led Ellis out of the room and returned within the minute.

All was silent amongst the throng of four. Before Ellis, Francis left the room and never returned. We all figured he was snoring in the next room. From then on it was Louis, Rochelle, Nick and I lazily slumped against the couches, all comforted by the silence.

I watched as Rochelle played with a strand of her hair that had fallen loose, and then she turned to look at me. "So where were you guys headed before this?"

Louis and I exchanged a glance as to who was going to speak. His eyes fluttered from exhaustion, and I realised I should take on the leader role as I have during these past few weeks. I sighed. "Before all this horseshit began, we were rescued from Mercy Hospital. However, our pilot turned into a zombie halfway through the drive, and I'm sure you can guess what happened next." I simplified the events greatly; they didn't need to know every detail of the horrors we faced. My trust in them wasn't exactly comforting enough to be strong.

She gasped, "That's awful."

"Ever since then we've been committed to finding Zoey." Nick snorted under his breath at my words. I glared at him, if it weren't for the depletion of the human population – I'd have him shot dead. "Once and _if_ we find her, I was planning on heading to Riverside in Pennsylvania, heard they're evacuating."

Rochelle raised an eyebrow as a puzzled look spread across her face, "But isn't Fairfield evacuating? That's what we heard."

I shrugged, "Don't you think we'd all be gone by now if Fairfield was evacuating?"

Nick shot up from the couch, "You're fucken kidding me. Fairfield isn't evacuating? We came all the way here for nothing!"

Rochelle hushed him, "Nick shush. Bill," she turned towards me, "Are you sure about this?"

I rolled my eyes, a little miffed. "Affirmative. Who told you Fairfield was evacuating?"

Rochelle and Nick shared a glance, "CEDA."

Louis and I burst into laughter. I hadn't laughed like this since the good days of the beginning of the Vietnam War. "CEDA aren't to be trusted folks. Where'd you come from?"

Nick scoffed, "Fucken knew it."

Rochelle replied instead, "We all met in Savannah. Both Coach and Ellis were originally from Savannah, but we all travelled from there. I just can't believe CEDA! They wanted us dead!" She threw her hands up in the air, clearly frustrated.

I raised myself from the couch and leaned toward her, "Rochelle, don't trust anyone but your group. Everyone else is probably feeding you shit." I felt myself itching for another cigarette. As I lit it, Nick cast me a look.

"Are you feeding us shit?" He asked.

I smiled, and waited a few seconds before I spoke, "That's for you to find out, son." He glared at me. I continued to glare at him until he looked away.

Rochelle groaned, musing over our rude behaviour, "Bill, I know it's a lot to ask for, but will you help us get to Riverside? I mean, maybe we can follow you guys." She suggested.

I glanced back to Louis and he nodded. "Course you can, Rochelle." He said. They exchanged a warming smile. "There's no need for you to follow us. You're a part of the team."

"Thank you Louis. We'll help you find uhm, Zoey. I mean, if you need it." Rochelle was clearly uncomfortable about mentioning Zoey. She was lucky Francis wasn't in the room.

"Sure, kid." I said.

Conversation soon diminished between us. Nick, not bothering to say anything, simply nudged Rochelle goodnight before leaving for the other room. She bid us farewell soon after.

"You should get to sleep, kid." I muttered to Louis. His eyes were already closed. I nudged him awake and repeated myself.

"You okay to keep watch?" He mumbled.

"Yes."

* * *

"I ain't lyin' to ya Louis, her neck really is this long!" Ellis indicated the length from the palm of his hand to his elbow, "And she spits this ugly green goo that melts ya skin right to the bone!"

Louis leaned forward voluntarily; absolutely tranced by the infected Ellis was talking about. "Damn. You guys were sure lucky not to have been spit on."

"It ain't luck Louis; it's just a miracle that none of us were killed. Damn, she's a nasty-ass zombie. That acid really hurts." He shivered from the memory of her spit.

"So what do they call this spitting-acidy-woman?" Louis asked.

Ellis chuckled and fumbled with his blue cap, "That's just it. She's the Spitter."

Louis laughed from his own stupidity, "Of course." Rochelle giggled.

After my night watch over the group, Rochelle took over for me just as the sun was rising. Once I was the last to wake, we all ate and then remained back on the sofas, all anxiously waiting for Coach to wake from his ongoing unconsciousness.

"So are there any other fucked up infected we haven't heard about?" Everyone suddenly stopped chatting and glanced towards Francis. I myself was surprised by his sudden intrigue in the conversation. After all, he hadn't talked since his brutal crusade.

Ellis stuttered in his speech. "W-Well uh. Yeah, course there is. Along with the Spitter, there's also the Jockey. Aww, man, I hate them little things, damn back-humpers! Then there's the Charger."

Francis raised his head further and looked at Ellis, he shifted his weight against the floor so that he was sitting upwards and joining into the group conversation. "Charger sounds interesting."

"Interesting, huh?" Nick scoffed.

"Dude, those things crush the shit outta you! They're like these Rammer thangs that crush you into the ground!" Ellis lifted his yellow 'Bullshifters' T-shirt to reveal his bruised torso. The entire left side had been swollen with bruises. The skin looked tender, almost deformed in a way.

Francis didn't say anything. We were all absolutely dumbfounded. "I guess that's gotta hurt." Francis mumbled.

Ellis pulled his T-shirt down and shifted back into a comfortable position. "Hell yeah, but not as much as that big-ass Tank! Lucky thing the Charger ain't as big or strong."

"The Charger is almost as big as the Tank?" Louis said, stunned.

"Naw, not exactly. It's sorta a little smaller." Ellis stopped, thinking of something amusing as he let out a chuckle. "But it's got this one huge arm and it looks like its been…"

"Ellis!" Rochelle cut in. "Not now honey." She smiled.

Ellis simply nodded. "Okay."

"What about the Jockey?" Francis asked.

"Now that little guy will ride you like a damn horse. It can easily separate you from the group, and the damn things scratch at your scalp."

Francis merely nodded; seemingly he was taking everything in. It's a good thing to know about other special infected that could be roaming the area. Better to know than to find out. "How come we haven't encountered any here?" Francis asked, as his gaze shifted upon me.

"Who knows." I answered. "Changes in habitat, perhaps. Maybe even their lifestyle. Or the infection just hit worse in the southern states." I guessed.

Ellis agreed, "Yeah, its pretty bad down south. Guess we were lucky to get outta there hey, Nick?"

"Sure thing, kid." Nick was barely paying any attention to the conversation and focused on peeling and cleaning the dirt and grime from his white suit. Pathetic kid.

Conversation continued another hour after that. My patience was dwindling and I really wanted to go out and kill some damn zombies. Instead, I ignited my third cigarette and watched Coach from across the room. Ellis followed my line of sight and sighed, "I hope he wakes up. That man has been through so much."

"Haven't we all." Nick muttered.

"What if he doesn't wake up?" I asked.

Rochelle cast me a stern look, "He will."

Ellis agreed. "Course he will. Plus, I've always got ma defibrillator if things go bad."

"You still have that?" Rochelle asked, surprised. I saw a flicker of hope in her eyes. She leapt from the couch and lent by Coach. She lifted his polo shirt up to reveal bloodied bandages. "It looks like he needs to be bandaged again. Nick, pass me that med kit over there." She pointed towards the counter.

He grabbed it and threw it to her on the floor. "Thanks." She muttered.

We all watched as she tenderly unwrapped his bandages to expose the injuries underneath. His abdomen had been torn apart, obliterated by whatever attacked him. My guess was a Hunter; they always go straight for the torso. His skin was halfway healing, so there were patches of shredded skin where blood was seeping from the wounds, and in others the blood was dry from the now healed wounds. She opened the medical kit and examined what was inside before she pulled out some wire gauze and a fresh roll of bandages to apply to his torso.

As she did this, Coach mumbled something unintelligible. His face crinkled in pain as he twitched his fingers. "He's coming to." Nick added.

We all huddled around Coach, eagerly awaiting his awakening. But once his finger twitched for the last time, he was under again. Rochelle felt for his pulse and sighed. "A little while longer." I returned to my position back on the couch as I inhaled my cigarette. I watched as Rochelle went to sit by Francis against the wall. She was whispering something to him, as she casually put her arm around his back comfortingly.

I sighed. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

**Zoey's POV**

I held the black piece of leather close to me, sniffing it every so often, attempting to gather every memory I could of the time we spent together. It wasn't long, but it was enough to last a lifetime, especially in this world. I couldn't comprehend why I was unable to remember my life during the apocalypse. Perhaps I thought it was all a nightmare, and that none of it was true – or happening.

But after clutching the leather to my chest, I knew this was real. The apocalypse itself was reality, and I had to face it. I was going to find Francis again, with or without Bill and Louis. I didn't see any other bodies besides the pilot, so I assumed they were alive and well. At least, I hoped.

But where was I going to start searching? I had no clue as to where they were, or if they were safe. Whether they made it to the evacuation site or whether they fled from the helicopter scene. I hoped deep down that Francis didn't leave me alone out here. I knew he would have wanted to come back and to look for me. But all of the evidence I've marked has led them to believe that I was probably dead.

Well, dead, or infected.

I scratched those thoughts from my head and instead focused on where I was going to go. If I went to the evacuation site and found them, I guess that would be a miracle, but it seemed too good to be true. What if I arrived and they weren't there? I didn't think I'd be allowed to leave. The military wouldn't let me do that.

My mind shifted toward Fairfield. I hadn't seen them at all during my strange phase. The only survivors worth recognising were the ones that I had meddled with. I hoped both men were still alive. Perhaps I could join them. Maybe they would help me find Francis. Maybe they'd reject me for asking such a request. I figured they would.

My feet carried me toward Fairfield voluntarily; I was just going to have to search for them myself – I expected them to be there. And if not, if all hope fails and I didn't find them, I would head to the evacuation site – pleading for them to be there.

It's settled then. I sighed and kept at a steady jog back to Fairfield. First thing I was going to do was find a safe room to rest in. I hadn't slept in days and my exhaustion was rapidly declining.

By the time I reached Fairfield, at least two hours had passed. The sun was beginning to rise and I knew I would be exposed to the remaining infected in the area. Despite the infected dying out, there was still the odd chance of alarming a small horde. I kept to the shadows of the day, hiding against the walls of the pavement, rather than in the middle of the streets.

I continued on, shooting the infected that roamed the roads, very few were left in this city. I figured the rest had been killed or had died.

Now that I was in my destination, where was I going to go? I thought back to the night of the rescue, we were holed up in Mercy Hospital before everything went haywire. They would have searched through Mercy Hospital, at least, Francis would have. Bill, I wasn't so sure of.

I decided to head toward Mercy Hospital. The guys would have to be around there somewhere, and if not, I could indulge in the nearby safe room that I so desperately needed. It was a good idea to rest up, freshen up, and then continue to find Francis.

I looked towards the sun, trying to see if I could guess the time of day. The rays of sunlight were strong – as they always are at dawn – and the angle they shone was almost horizontal. Most of the city was still buried in darkness, only a few rays could be seen cast against apartment windows and rooftops. I guessed it was probably after 5 am. If I found the safe room within the hour, I know I'd sleep till dark. It would be safer to travel at night, rather than attempting to hide in the shadows.

Following the road toward Mercy Hospital, I kicked a small rock to let time run by faster. After all, time flies when you're having fun, right? I estimated that I kicked the rock at least fifty metres, before my foot started to hurt as it scratched against the asphalt. It was a bad idea to make noise, every sound I made echoed down the streets and into the buildings. I was surprised nothing had found me yet. It almost seemed too quiet.

The silence was gnawing at me; I wanted to scream, to fire gun shots, to break doors and windows, _anything_ that could take my mind off the dead silence. It only reminded me of how lonely I truly was. I almost wanted to run into infected trouble. Then, I realised I'd probably die.

I sighed, "Stupid apocalypse… had to ruin everyone's lives didn't you!" Frustrated over nothing, I grabbed my pistols and shot into the air, firing at random. I was really asking for trouble.

I caught the attention of a lone infected. He was eating from a rat left on the street. I simply raised my pistol and shot him through the head. He fell, and I laughed.

My laughter was cut short by a sharp howl in the air. It was nearby, but not close enough to reach me. I sprinted down the street, rushing passed Mercy Hospital, before turning the corner and sighting the safe room at the end of the road. I was almost there.

The howl was closer this time. I recognised it as a Hunter.

"I can't catch a fucking break, can I?" I muttered to myself. Then again, I asked for it.

"Nice job Zo." I laughed to myself again. Surely, I was going crazy.

The Hunter leapt in front of the safe room door, and glared up at me. I grabbed both pistols and waited for the precise moment. The stance was familiar, the way his back was arched and how his eyes...

"Fuck." I breathed. "How the hell is this possible?"

It was him. I didn't know how he could still be alive. I was so sure I shot him through the head. I looked closely, examining the injuries on his body. His stance was the same, except he was leaning towards his left side. He watched as I slowly lowered my pistols. I heard him growl, he reached up and held his collarbone.

The right side of his collarbone had been shot. Blood was seeping from the wound as it stained his navy blue hoodie.

I missed the shot. I got him in the collarbone instead. How did I not see that?

You're exhausted Zoey. You probably _wanted_ to see yourself shoot him in the head.

"Shut up." I muttered to myself. I raised my pistols again and glared at him, as he did me.

He sank onto his haunches and growled. He wasn't going to waste any time this round. It was do or die. I didn't think it was going to be so easy this time. He wanted revenge, and he wasn't going to stop until he got it.

I didn't think I was going to be able to survive this time. I could slap myself for not making sure he was dead. I should have double tapped him, or paid extra attention to the movie Zombieland. Damn it Zoey!

He howled and then flew into the air. I waited for the precise moment of his landing, and I nudged him off of me. He hesitated, stumbling backwards before crouching again. I shot him in the knee as he let out a piercing growl and slashed at my thigh.

I screamed in pain. His claws were almost as deadly as the Witch. I could feel my skin shred under the impact of his claw. He back flipped metres away to regain himself, as I tried to ignore the throbbing of my wound. I gasped hurried breaths and raised my pistols, following his movements with bullets.

He leapt again, claws outstretched before I nudged him a second time. I didn't think I could do it a third – that was pushing my luck. After recuperating, he attempted to slash at my thigh again. I kicked his hand away, and compressed his broken hand against my foot. He howled in pain and aggression, at least I found his weak spot.

He clutched at his broken claw, the bones in his hand were crushed and it was left immobile. One claw down, one left to go. He'll be helpless after that.

I could see the anger in his eyes, the fierce burning that longed for my death. He was weak. He was no chance for me. With a wounded collarbone and a broken claw, what else is there for him to do against me?

"You can't win, Hunter." I said to him.

He stopped fighting and glared at me. A hint of sadness crossed over his features, but it was only replaced with hate and anger.

"If you don't surrender, I will kill you." I gave him my warning.

He snarled and spat on the ground.

"I don't want to have to kill you, Hunter." That was my second warning.

He scowled. He wasn't going to give up until he was dead. He was going to try and take me with him.

I huffed in exhaustion, trying to regain my breath back as he did the same. I sighed and raised my pistol. He watched tentatively. As soon as I fired, he charged into me and slammed me against the brick wall. I felt my breath _whoosh_ out of my body as he swiped at my shoulder.

I felt the hate sear in my veins. I felt every scratch, every tear and battle scar on my body. I brought the memory back of how it felt to be pinned under a Hunter, or asphyxiated by a Smoker, or thrown like a doll by a Tank. I let the pain and the anger rise within me. This Hunter wasn't going to take me with him.

I snarled this time, and pushed him off of me. I kicked him in the neck, not watching his reaction; I kicked him again in the crotch and then kneed him in the chin as he brought his head down. I wasn't going to stop until he was dead. He launched himself at me, slicing at my arm. I ignored the pain that overcame every sensation, and focused on obliterating him.

He crouched down again, and before he even leapt, I fired my gunshot straight into his face. He yelped from pain and rocked himself on the floor. I shot him again at the side of his head, and every muscle in his body fell limp.

I sent a second shot to his head; I wasn't going to let it happen again. "Double tap, bitch."

He was dead. He wasn't coming back. I fell to the floor alongside him and breathed heavy gasps. I felt the pain pierce my body like lava. My thigh, shoulder and my arm were bleeding as my blood coated the road. I held onto my arm with one hand, while the other grasped at the wound on my thigh. I looked up and realised I was lying outside Mercy Hospital. Déjà vu or what?

I was lying across the T-intersection of the main road. The safe room I was heading to was on the other side. I gasped, clutching at my wounds and lifted myself from the floor. Once I was up, it felt like everything had paled in colour. Almost as if everything was black and white.

I pushed that aside and limped along the road. I realised that I was still close to another safe room that I had shared with the now dead Hunter and Smoker that I had once accompanied. Continuing down the road, I spotted an alleyway and almost decided to skip it until a hint of pink caught my eye.

Limping up to it, I realised it was blood, and that my fading vision was only getting worse. There were drops of blood that led to another street on the other side. I gave all hope into this, and followed the trail of blood, hoping to find the survivors I almost killed, and also hoping they'd accept me into their group until I was feeling better – if I didn't die.

The trail wasn't very long, and it did lead to a safe room. The red metal door had been dented and unhinged and was slightly ajar, just enough for me to fit inside stealthily. I hoped everyone was still asleep.

As I was halfway through the door, I heard soft voices from inside. The structure of the safe room didn't allow for them to see me. There was a narrow hallway, but I couldn't see passed it. As my hearing slowly began to fade, the voices were unrecognisable. _Please let them help me_, I thought.

Once inside I steadied my laboured breathing. Boy, I was so nervous. Maybe I should just go and lie on the street instead?

But something was nagging at me to push on further. These people really might be able to help me. Maybe they'd help me find Francis. I limped toward the hallway and poked my head just enough to see into the room.

All I could see was a woman at the very end of the room; she was talking to a strangely familiar man. My heart jolted and almost crashed. I felt sweat pour down my face and back, and the pain in my wounds suddenly ceased to exist.

It was Francis. Her arm was around his back, rubbing it tenderly. A sudden burst of jealousy infested within me. I positioned my body and limped further down the hallway. There was still no one else in sight, and I guessed they were on the very ends of the room.

Nothing could shake the sudden feeling of being unwanted. I wanted his arms around me; comforting me, telling me everything was going to be okay. Except his face was buried in his hands, and it looked like he was trembling. There was no way to tell his facial features.

I neared the end of the hallway, "Francis." I choked.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion again, or perhaps it was my life that was dwindling away.

All six heads turned to look at me and gasped. A man in a white suit leapt from the couch and raised his pistol. He aimed it directly at my chest.

"DON'T SHOOT!" Francis bellowed.

But it was too late.

His finger pulled the trigger.

* * *

**A/N: Heeeere's another chapter!  
I wanted to get this one up asap for you guys, so enjoy!**

**A thanks to all my supporters, especially The Shining Freak, baby-kachuba, compa16, xAme-chan and Demon-Kagetsuki! A huge thanks to you guys for your reviews :)**


	12. Awakening

**Zoey's POV**

Everything seemed to rush by in three successive movements.

First, I felt the bullet pierce the skin in my chest. The pain shot throughout my entire body, almost as if a knife had stabbed a hole inches deep into my flesh. The blood that seeped through the wound soaked my red jacket and I watched thunderstruck, as it trickled down my torso and pooled the linoleum floors.

Second, I watched as all six figures leant in simultaneously, some from shock, others from fright and one from complete torture. As they crept closer, my vision blurred and I was unable to pinpoint names to faces.

Third, I felt my heart beat slow to an irregular pulse. I tried to inhale, but the pain that rocked throughout my body was excruciating. I felt my muscles tense as my heart finally gave in to silence.

Then, I collapsed and the world around me went black.

* * *

**Francis' POV**

"ZOEY!" I bellowed out into the silence as I dived for her body before she hit the cold, hard ground. She fell motionless into my arms, her face blurred from the constant stream of tears that escaped my eyes.

"Feel for a pulse!" Rochelle shouted. I gently moved her head to the side as I placed two fingers against her neck. But there was nothing to feel.

I groaned from frustration and closed my eyes to calm down the angst inside of me. "Can't feel anything." I whispered intently as I struggled to feel for her pulse. "S-She's… S-She's…" I couldn't even say it myself. Everything inside of me was dying at the sight of Zoey motionless.

"What's the matter, son?" Bill leant down and placed his hand on my shoulder, a grim look cast on his face.

I felt the tears flow down my cheeks, and shook my head – unable to answer Bill's question. He seemed to get the point. "Zoey." I whimpered as I held her tightly against my chest. I could smell the old hint of strawberries in her hair, and the scent of _her._ I had missed her so much, and the day she comes back into my life, she's shot dead. She's shot dead…

A crescendo of anger burned my veins. I lay Zoey gently against the floor and launched to my feet. I turned around until I came to the face I wanted to see. And once I saw it, I lunged at him.

"I FUCKING HATE YOU!" I sent a jaw-breaking punch into Nick's face and watched as he spat out blood. I ignored the protests behind me and sent another punch to his nose, breaking the bone and sending blood splattering on the both of us. "LOOK WHAT YOU FUCKING DID!" I tackled him down and smashed his body against the floor. "YOU FUCKING KILLED HER!" Nick's hands found my vest as he tried to fight me off. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"I thought she was a fucking infected!" Nick's voice was muffled by the pressure of my weight. I sent one last bone-crunching punch to his face before I was lifted from his body and held back, squirming in someone's tight grasp.

"You broke my fucking nose, you fucking piece of god damn SHIT!" Nick hollered in the arms of Ellis, the rage burning in his eyes as he hollered and tried to fight his way through back to me. Once realising this, I tried to squirm out of the grasp, itching for a real fight, one that could potentially kill the both of us.

But only one would die. I was going to kill that man for what he did to Zoey.

"Francis." I heard a voice against my ear. "Hey, Francis. Calm down."

The rage building inside me seemed to explode at the careless words thrown out by Louis. Who was I to calm down in a situation like this? "I'm not going to calm the fuck down!" I bellowed.

"Francis!" It was a different voice this time. Older, and wiser. It was Bill who was helping to hold me back. "It's not over for her."

"She's fucking dead on the floor, old man!" I fought the arms that were holding me down, anxious to send a few more hundred punches to Nick's face.

Bill shifted his weight so that he was in front of me, "There's still another way we can bring her back." I struggled some more before I truly grasped the meaning of his words. Bring her back? How the fuck would we do that?

"He's right." Rochelle whimpered, seemingly frightened at the prospect of a brawny fight. "Ellis still has his defibrillator."

I stood motionless and looked toward Ellis, remembering previous conversations mentioning the spare defibrillator. "Where is it?" I demanded.

Ellis backed away, slightly afraid, "I-In the next room. I'll go get it." He left the room in a rush. Rochelle wasn't the only one who was afraid.

I turned back toward suit and glared at him. "What if…" he huffed, "we need…" and huffed again, "the defib for C-Coach?" He mumbled, holding a rag against his bleeding nose.

"Coach will be fine." Rochelle said, with a slight hint of hope in her eyes. I held respect for Rochelle, allowing us to use the defibrillator for Zoey, rather than save it for Coach in case of complications. I sighed, realising the worst had finally come true. Zoey... dead... I'd never thought I'd use those two words in the same sentence. It didn't feel right.

"Gawt it." Ellis leant over Zoey's body and held both electrodes of the defibrillator over Zoey's chest. My eyebrows furrowed as I bent down next to him, waiting and _hoping_. Rochelle joined me on the floor to my left, and Bill to my right. Louis stood behind me, watching intently.

Before Ellis placed the electrodes on her, he unzipped her bloodied jacket, his face reddening as he took it off and then attempted to take off her white tank top. "Whoa." I stammered, my arm flinging out across Ellis' chest. "What do you think you're doing?" I asked, slightly offended that he'd take her clothes off.

"W-Well uh, it uh helps when the c-clothes are off." He stuttered, face reddening further. I looked toward Rochelle and watched as she nodded.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and closed my eyes. "Fine." I muttered.

Opening my eyes, I watched heart broken as he pulled on the strands of her tank top and lowered her shirt. I heard Louis move away from the intimate scene, and Bill took a few steps back for privacy. "Do _you_ really have to do this?" I asked Ellis.

"N-Naw. I was just…" he struggled to find something to say and instead, passed the defibrillator over to Rochelle. "Here, Ro." Ellis leant back and clapped his hand on my shoulder, "Sorry Francis. Don't mean tuh make things uncomfortable or nothin'." He backed away to stand by Louis.

Before Rochelle applied the electrodes she looked up at me. "Francis." It was difficult to focus my attention on Rochelle, when I had Zoey on the floor dead before me. But I caught her sideways glance, gritting my teeth. "She's going to be fine. We'll be able to stop the bleeding." I hoped she was right. The floor around Zoey's body was completely wet with her blood.

I didn't say anything as she looked away and placed one electrode just underneath the right side of her collarbone and the other underneath her left breast. "Clear." She said confidently.

As she said this, an electric charge surged from the machine straight through the electrodes against Zoey's chest, as she heaved from the floor.

Silence filled the room. Nothing seemed to happen.

"Clear." Rochelle grunted again as Zoey's body plunged back against the floor.

* * *

**Zoey's POV**

There was a moment when the pain ceased to exist. I felt as if I'd entered an alternate universe where pain, sadness and torture were non-existent. And for once, I was happy.

There were no troubles; no sickness and there was nothing to bring me down. I didn't want to leave, no matter the circumstances.

Death was a major part of my life. I saw it, I felt it, and most of all, I caused it. There was no telling how much death I caused. After enduring it for so long, I didn't want to return to it.

It was in that moment that I felt something tug against my thoughts. There was some form of interference – something wasn't right.

Was I not dead?

Was I going to hell?

Did hell even exist?

I thought back to my life – back to the apocalypse. That was hell. Anywhere I was going to now would be salvation.

Or was I wrong?

An image flashed across my vision. Among the black background, I saw a furrowed face. Before I could understand any of it, it vanished. There were sounds coming now too. I was unable to hear for more than a few seconds. Again, nothing made sense.

"Too much blood." My vision blurred as my eyes fluttered open to bright light.

"…Not stopping." There were two faces above mine, but because my vision was so distorted, I couldn't tell who they were.

"Pulse is slowing…" My vision returned to complete darkness.

"Zoey honey, stay with me!" I could see the light burn behind my eyelids. But the light was too strong to peer upon. I could feel my sight burning underneath the impact.

"C'mon Zo!" All of my senses returned. I could feel cold hands against my skin, I could hear the familiar voices of those calling my name, I could think about the memories that had escaped my thoughts, and I could touch the solid floor beneath me, my fingers grazing upon a wet substance. I knew I could see, but I wasn't going to risk the pain.

"I love you." Upon hearing those words, my eyelids flashed open. I fought the intense light and willed myself to see.

* * *

**Francis' POV**

"Add'a girl, she's wakin' up."

Zoey's eyelids fluttered and a moment later I could see the light shine on her green eyes. It was the most beautiful colour green that I'd ever seen. I placed my hand on her neck and felt her slow, yet steady pulse underneath my touch.

My heart almost exploded from happiness. I smiled, and grabbed a hold of her hand, clutching it tightly inside of my own. I watched as she looked up at me, and upon instant recognition, she smiled back.

"I'm going to give you two some space." Rochelle whispered to me, before getting up from the floor. I remained watching Zoey, watch me. She was always smiling, and she raised her hand and caressed my cheek. I turned my head and kissed her palm. I never realised just how much she meant to me. I well and truly loved her.

I felt a tear trickle down my cheek. Zoey furrowed her eyebrows, saddened by the tear and wiped it away with her thumb. "Don't cry." she whispered, her voice dry.

I was about to talk, but an avalanche of emotion hit me and I choked on my words. "T-There's no w-way…" I took a deep breath and focused on being in the moment. Zoey was here. Zoey was with me. She was safe, she wasn't dead, she wasn't infected, she was really here, _alive_. "There are no words to explain just how much you mean to me."

I gently placed my hand on the back of her neck and lifted her from the floor. I pulled her towards me and cradled her in my vice-like grip. "I can't lose you." I whispered into her ear. She responded by clutching my hands in hers, and kissing my palms before she held them across her heart.

I didn't want to let her go, not even when she appeared so exhausted. But I imagined the atrocities this woman must have endured. Well, I can't imagine – I didn't know – but I knew it wouldn't have been easy for her. "I'm going to carry you into the next room so you can rest, darlin'."

"Mmmkay." She responded. She fluttered her eyelids closed and I knew she was already asleep. I ignored everyone's glances and carried her passed the main room into the 'bed' room and covered her with sleeping bags.

As I kissed her forehead I heard her whisper, "I love you too."

* * *

**Zoey's POV**

I slept deeply. Time passed. Days possibly. But after my exhaustion got the better of me, the longer I rested, the more I would recharge. At random bursts I swear I heard my stomach growl. Damn, I was so hungry. But so tired. Time for more sleep, I think.

I woke every so often, usually Francis was watching over me while I slept. Every time I woke he would kiss me. First, it was my forehead. Second, was my nose. Third, he moved to my cheek. I was still impatiently waiting for him to kiss my lips.

It was once when I woke up, that Francis wasn't watching me. There was someone else in the room. He leant next to me and smiled. His handsome face was quite familiar. But there was no time for recognition, I was already asleep.

My eyelids opened, I'd been trying to fall asleep for the third time this hour, but sleep wouldn't catch me. For the first time in a long time, I felt rested. I lifted myself from the sleeping bag and noticed my clothes had the blood cleaned from them. I was thankful for whoever did that. I unzipped my jacket to examine my wound, but it was patched up and secure, as were the other wounds inflicted by the Hunter. They still hurt like hell, though.

Noticing someone sleeping in the opposite corner, I got to my feet quietly and re-tied my ponytail to make myself a little more presentable. Apart from feeling rested, I felt good. Despite my ravenous hunger, there was nothing to get me down. I smiled, zipping my jacket back up and walked out into the main room, ready to await everyone else.

"Morning." I spoke lightly. "Or afternoon. I don't know what time it is exactly." I smiled and was met with a bear hug from Francis. He picked me up from the floor and planted a kiss on my lips. He broke it too early for my liking. Even though everyone's attention was on us, I lowered his head back down and met my lips with his.

A sudden hunger for Francis erupted inside of me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held myself tightly against his body. I demanded more and opened my mouth further, trailing my tongue along his lips. He responded automatically, his arms tightening against my hips as his hands crushed my body against his. He moved his hands gently, and as our tongues circled, he explored the skin of my back inside my clothing, making me shiver with anticipation and excitement.

"Enough already." Someone grumbled from the other side of the room. Francis stopped and let go of me to glare at the man in the white suit. I glared along with him. That damn bastard shot at me!

"Hey cupcake." He cooed. "Glad to see you're alive." He winked.

"Get bent, asshole." I muttered.

"Ooh, feisty. This one's a keeper, Frannie." He chuckled.

"What the hell happened to your nose, Colonel Sanders? Was it Frannie who beat you up?" Honestly, I wouldn't have been surprised. Francis hated a hell of a lot of different people. My second guess was Bill.

The suit didn't reply and instead flipped me off. Francis growled next to me, I could see the desire in him to shoot this man.

"That's enough Nick." A lady in a pink T-shirt opposite him muttered. She got up from the couch and walked over to me, "Glad to see you're okay Zoey. I know we haven't officially met, but I'm Rochelle." She smiled and placed her hand on my back, gesturing me to sit down.

"Nice to meet you." I said nicely, calmly avoiding the previous burst of jealousy of the thought of her comforting Francis. "It's so good to see another woman after all these weeks." I laughed lightly.

She chuckled and nodded. "I know what you mean! Let me fix you something to eat, I bet you're hungry."

"That would be great." I answered.

I turned back around to meet the gazes of my comrades whom I'd missed so much. I smiled widely at the both of them and launched them both in for a tight hug. "Glad to see you guys are okay!"

Louis chuckled, "We missed you, girl. Don't ever do that to us again."

Bill smiled, "We did miss you, kid. I have no idea how you survived out there, but we'd like to hear some stories." He chuckled lightly, but behind his words, there was a second meaning only I could comprehend. He wanted the details. He knew something was up. He knew something must have been wrong with me. I laughed anyway, reminding myself to avoid Bill at all costs.

I sat back down on the couch and glanced at the suit. "You're Nick, yes?"

"Yes, the name's Nick, but don't bother learning it 'cause I ain't sticking around much longer."

What an asshole. At least someone from his group was nice and appreciative towards others. "Weren't there others?" I realised, recalling a previous familiar face.

"Yeah, Ellis is sleeping inside and Coach is finally back from construction." Francis answered.

I gawked at him. "Huh?"

He pointed to the far corner of the room, passed the hallway entrance, behind the couch that Nick was lying on. There, I could see a man heavily bandaged around his torso, his breathing slow but steady.

"Oh God!" I flinched from the sight of him. These were the survivors I had attacked.

Shit.

The chances of finding them were slim, but to actually have found them! What do I do? Do I tell them? Should I tell them? I looked at the man, panic stricken. What if he died?

"Don't worry honey." Rochelle returned with a plate of food and looked over at Coach. "He's just sleeping. We were worried though, I'll tell ya that!"

So he was going to be okay. That still didn't ease the sickness building inside of me. I didn't feel so hungry anymore. But I didn't want to be rude, and I didn't like the looks Bill was giving me. Best to act normal than to be scolded by an old man.

The rest of the day passed by very slowly. We all remained on the couches talking of times passed and of the lives we used to live. Nobody ever questioned me of my whereabouts the past few weeks, and for that, I was thankful. I didn't feel right talking about it, not to everyone anyway. If they ever found out the damage I caused them…

"Zoey?" a female voice pushed me from my train of thought.

"Yes?" I spun my head in Rochelle's direction.

"So what were you studying in college?" she asked.

"Oh, right." I must have dozed off during my part in the conversation, "I was studying to be a filmmaker, half the time." I responded.

"And the other half?" she questioned, confused.

I smiled widely. "Watching old horror movies." I chuckled.

"That's… nice." She smiled, but turned away to join into Louis and Bill's conversation.

"You wanna go outside?" Francis whispered into my ear. I met his gaze and smiled widely. He grasped my hand and we almost ran through the hallway to reach open space. We climbed the fire escape just outside the building and sat along the ledge of the rooftop. I had my pistol with me, just in case.

He folded his arm around me and we watched the silence of the night, the beauty of dusk as we shared each others company.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to leave that damn room." He muttered. I laughed lightly and sunk into his chest as his arms wrapped around my torso.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to find a damn room." I replied. He smiled and rolled his eyes as he kissed my forehead.

"I wanna talk to you."

"You have all the time in the world." I grabbed his neck and pushed him down toward me as he gently kissed my lips. An overwhelming sense of passion fired up my veins as I wanted more of him.

He stopped the kiss too soon, "I want to know what happened to you." He responded, brushing a piece of fallen hair off my face. "I was so worried about ya Zo. You can't do that to me again."

My eyes watered slightly. I really didn't think I'd be able to do anything alone again. "I won't." I said boldly.

"What happened to you after we went to help Louis?" he asked.

I breathed in deeply and recalled the events to great detail. I mentioned the attack in Mercy Hospital, and of waking up not remembering the past events. I talked about the monster that inhabited my body, controlling me at my weakest moments. I mentioned the feeding and the sickness that almost killed me.

Francis held me as I began to cry. I didn't want to recall these events. If it were up to me, I'd rewind time and make sure that I took better care of myself before the infected man bit me in the first place. But you can't rewind time. You shouldn't regret anything you do. Taking different paths can lead you to different directions. At least with the path I took, I was able to find Francis again. And that's what really mattered to me in the end.

I started again, and mentioned the two infected I befriended along my journey, and how they helped me find my human side by caring for them, and providing food for them. However, I didn't mention the _type_ of food I provided. He didn't need to know _that_.

For the death of my friend the Smoker, I changed the outcome, and instead, I told Francis that the Smoker wanted to go his own path, lead his own life and to protect himself. As for the Hunter, he became angry at me for letting his friend leave, and ventured to kill me.

I told Francis about the first fight I had against the Hunter. He was impressed and laughed at how the Hunter died so easily. I moved straight to the helicopter crash and how I found a piece of his vest.

I took the piece out of the zipped compartment of my jacket and handed it over to him. "This is yours." I smiled.

His eyes shined with delight and he laughed as he took a hold of his vest. "I didn't think I was ever going to see this baby again!" I chuckled as he began holding it up against his vest, trying to figure out how he was going to secure it together again.

Instead he looked towards me and smiled. "I want you to keep this."

I gawked at him, dumbfounded. After (or possibly even before me) Francis's vest was a sacred artefact to him. The world wouldn't spin as it does if Francis didn't have his vest. I found it hard to believe that he wanted me to keep it. "I can't accept this." I whispered.

He placed the piece back into my pocket and stared deep into my eyes. "If we're ever apart again, you'll always have a piece of me to remember me by." He smiled and held me once more.

My heart almost stopped as he said that. I couldn't face life without Francis after everything that happened. I clutched him tighter, as if holding onto mercy, as the night wore on.

* * *

"He was a changed man after you left, Zoey." Louis said as we sat by the couches together. Everyone else was sleeping in the next room, and it was just Louis and I who were lounging on the couches. I didn't feel the need to sleep at all, after sleeping for several hours, I felt recharged and ready for action.

"What do you mean, changed?" I asked.

Louis thought for a moment, recalling past memories. "He wasn't the same. It was as if something inside of him had been silenced. He was a broken man. Always getting into fights with us, more fights than normal." He smiled at that part. I did too. Francis was always the type to get into a playful fight with a buddy.

"He was always so negative. He mentioned how we weren't going to make it to salvation, how we'd probably end up dead."

I gasped. "Louis, that's terrible." I clasped my hand over my mouth in shock. Who knew Francis could develop feelings like these?

"But as for one thing, he was dedicated to finding you. And believe me Zoey; he wasn't going to stop until you were found. It just about drove us crazy." He laughed lightly and then sighed. "I'm sorry Zoey."

A puzzled look spread across my face. "What's to be sorry about?"

"I thought you were dead. Both Bill and I thought you were gone. It was Francis who convinced us to go back to Mercy Hospital to look for you." He whispered solemnly.

"He went back to Mercy Hospital?" I asked.

"We all did. We searched through all the rooms we thought you might be in. After we found it, both Bill and I realised you were probably one of them." He avoided my eyesight as he said this.

"An infected." I stated.

"I'm sorry."

I patted him on the shoulder. "Louis there's hardly anything to be sorry about. If I were you, I would have probably thought the same thing."

"That's not all I'm sorry for though. If I didn't get pinned by that stupid Hunter, you wouldn't have been left alone, and that infected wouldn't have attacked you."

"What are you talking about?" I questioned, confused.

"Back before we were rescued, I was pinned by a Hunter. Francis and Bill came over to help me out. But we left you all alone, and that's when you disappeared on us. We left you for dead."

"Louis I don't want to hear any of your apologies. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault. The events that took place happened for a reason. But in the end, they brought me straight back to you guys. That's what counts."

He tried to smile, "I guess." He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I think I'm gonna head off to bed."

"Goodnight Louis." I hugged him tightly before I was left in the silence of the room. I didn't know what to do with myself. I don't think I've ever been this utterly bored. I thought about leaving the safe room and finding some infected I could fight. But what if I got into trouble? I've had too many close calls – next time it was likely that I was going to be killed.

Instead I leant by Coach and watched him sleep. I didn't know why, but I felt so uneasy around him – even when he was sleeping. What if he recognised me? Yet, I don't think it was Coach who saw me; I remembered the handsome, young face of Ellis.

Obviously Ellis must have seen me enter the safe room, then get shot by that bastard. But why hadn't he told his teammates that I caused the near-death of Coach? Did he expect something in return for not telling them? Did he _not_ recognise me?

I shook off the negative thoughts and focused on Coach's status. I lifted his polo shirt which revealed clean, white bandages; the wounds caused by the Hunter had finally healed. He was truly lucky to be alive. After shifting his shirt back down, I watched him sleep. His steady breathing calmed the tension inside of me as I realised I was going to have to face Ellis about what happened, demanding to know why he didn't tell anyone about the accident.

I looked back down at Coach and held his hand in mine. "I'm sorry about all of this, Coach. I really am." I whispered. I didn't think he'd be able to hear me, but even if he could, at least he'd know I was sorry. I don't know how the others are going to forgive me for this.

"Am I interrupin' somethin'?" A young, southern drawl interrupted me from my thoughts. I let go of Coach's hand and stood back up to face the man coming out of the other room.

"O-Of course not." I whispered.

He smiled at me before launching himself on the sofa, "That's good then. I don't think we've met, my name is Ellis, some people call me El. But I really prefer Ellis 'cause El kinda sounds like a girl's name. But if you prefer to call me El, I guess you can."

"I'm Zoey." I said quietly, unsure why this man was being so nice to me. Did he really not recognise me?

"Pleasure to meet ya Zoey." He smiled widely.

An awkward silence filled the room and all that was heard was the constant snore of Coach. I didn't think Ellis was going to speak, as every time I looked up at him he was already looking at me, and quickly turned to look at something else. His cheeks were flushed a deep scarlet, was it really that warm in here?

"So how ya feelin'? You looked pretty messed up when ya stumbled in here." He smiled uncomfortably.

I looked back up at him, my eyesight lingering on his a second longer than necessary. "Yeah I'm feeling better now. Almost like new." I smiled. This was really getting to me. How could he not recognise me? Why was he hiding this as a secret? "I'm sorry." I said, "But have we met before?" I asked stupidly.

He took a while to answer, "Well." He stopped again, "Not officially." He seemed uncomfortable.

_Just drop it Zoey_.

"But I remember you." He said quietly, avoiding my gaze.

I bit my lip. "You remember me from when…" I stopped, unable to put the sentence into words. "…when the infected attacked your team – attacked you." I almost whispered, eyes watering from the memory.

"Y-Yeah. You were with a Hunter and a Smoker. I uh, I remember you. I saw you before I blacked out." He replied.

After hearing that I laughed. And I laughed hard. How could he feel so light and easy about all of this? "How does this not bother you?" I almost shouted, unaware of those sleeping inside.

He sighed, "I'm sure ya have yer reasons. You prolly didn't want us killin' yer friends, or anythin'. It's understandable." He said.

"But they were infected!" I blurted out.

"They were still yer friends." He simply answered.

"But what about when they attacked you, and almost _killed_ Coach?" I pointed to him on the floor, that man was sure a heavy sleeper.

He pulled his blue cap down to cover his eyes. He seemed to be trembling and my heart almost shattered as I realised he might be crying. But he put his cap back on, and joined me on the opposite couch, smiling.

He grabbed a hold of my hand and stared into my eyes. I was captured by the intense blue of his eyes and almost felt myself leaning in towards him.

_Snap out of it idiot!_

I pushed Ellis' hands away and backed away from the couch. Ellis didn't seem fazed by the movement and seemed to understand that what he did was a little too intimate for me. Nonetheless he continued to speak to me. "Oh gawd I'm so nervous." He chuckled and then let out a sigh. "Look, I know what ya did wasn't the best thing tuh do – 'specially tuh survivors an' all." He smiled lightly, exposing gleaming white teeth, "But you have yer reasons fer what ya do. I'm not gonna dob ya in fer attackin' us 'cause I ain't that type'a guy. Just think 'bout what you do next time, okay?"

I stared, shocked at what he'd voiced. So what, I was forgiven? I wasn't going to get a harsh punishment? Thrown into a maze full of vines, or into a hungry horde? This guy is… so different to what I would have expected.

"I just wanna be friends." He said simply. "Our teams get along like two peas in a pod. Why ruin that? The more people we have, the easier it is fer us to reach salvation."

He _was_ right, but that didn't make me feel any better about the situation. I held his sight and whispered, "I'm sorry. I understand everything you say, and boy, it means a _lot_ to me to hear that you're okay with this, but I need you to accept my apology."

He shook his head, "Not a chance, Zoey. You don't owe me an apology."

"Please, Ellis." I pleaded.

Ellis' face grew solemn as he took in my plea, "Okay, for you." He smiled.

The entire conversation seemed to stop as silence encompassed us. My eyes grew heavy as the conversation seeped away the remains of my energy. "I'm going to sleep."

I didn't wait for a response and instead started off towards the door. Before I entered it I turned back around and looked back at Ellis. "I love Francis. So don't try anything." I quit the room and found Francis' sleeping form along the row of sleeping bags. He welcomed me in, wrapped his arms around me as I snuggled into his chest.

I was home.

* * *

**Bill's POV**

It's been three days since Zoey has been reunited with us, and as far as I could tell, she was definitely avoiding me.

I've been thinking of a way to corner her, and for her to tell me everything that happened since we left her at the hospital, but every chance I attempted, she'd leave the room, snuggle with her lover boy or jump into a group conversation.

There was no need to worry. I was going to get to her eventually.

"Zoey, you mind if I ask you something privately?" I asked her as everyone was seated on the lounges.

She stiffened slightly, "I don't think so Bill, we're just about to eat." She replied.

"It won't take long." I promised.

She groaned, "C'mon Bill, I don't wanna keep these guys off their appetite." She joked around.

"But…" I started.

"Yeah, old man! Some of us are starvin' here." Francis cut in. The rest joined in, laughing at Francis' comment. Nick merely scowled.

I grunted and sat back down, glaring at Zoey until she decided to look at me. She knew that I knew there was something going on. Perhaps she was stronger _and_ smarter than Rochelle.

I decided to wait until dusk, once everyone started bidding goodnight, I'd follow suit as normal. Once Zoey was left awake, like usual, I'd interrogate her then. She wasn't going to get away with this a second time, not over my God-damn dead body!

After a light appetiser of stale biscuits and melted peanut butter, which quite frankly back in my day wasn't something we'd usually consider eating, we remained on the couches as Coach joined us from his heavy unconsciousness and rest.

"I thought that damn Hunter wasn't gonna stop." Ellis offered Coach his spot on the couch as Ellis took the floor. Coach sunk right in, his large belly now even larger, due to the bandaged wounds that almost entirely covered the sight of his face.

"It's good to see you up and runnin' pal." Coach sent a smile towards Nick, "We couldn't handle carrying the dead weight around any longer." Coach's smile faltered into a glare.

"Hold your damn tongue, boy. Don' chu speak to me like that."

Ellis groaned, "Aw c'mon guys don't act like this."

"This always happens." Rochelle muttered to Zoey and Francis who laughed at how Nick was being treated like a minor.

The dynamics of their team were similar to our own, I realised. Coach, obviously their leader, reflected similar traits to my own, a strong and courageous, yet also charismatic man to lead the group to safety. Then there was the bastard Nick, who boldly reminded me of Francis and his behavioural issues. Ellis's constant optimism mirrored Louis perfectly, almost as if they were the same soul inhabiting two bodies, both sharing care and praise for their comrades. And lastly the women, Rochelle and Zoey, both completely adamant about holding the group together and offering their love and warmth to get the team through the down times. Both also showed a sense of feminine pride and courage of having to undergo a zombie apocalypse, yet more so with Zoey.

Zoey had lost everyone that she valued and loved. Even though several of our families were long gone, it was Zoey who had to deal with the infection spreading to her parents, and ultimately, resulted in Zoey having to deal with curing them of the infection - by death. I remembered an earlier period of Zoey mentioning her divorced parents. She held great devotion for them, and all of that was thrown away by the awakening of the zombie apocalypse. She'd lost the time of her life, learning who she was as a person, and what she was going to do with her life.

Jesus H Christ, she was just a child.

"Goodnight Bill." Rochelle snapped me back into reality.

I grumbled. "Right, uh goodnight." I nodded at her, she smiled and left for the other room.

I remained on the couch watching Zoey and Francis. My plan wasn't going to work out the way I wanted it to. I realised it was now or never.

"Zoey, we need to talk." I gave her a stern look, warning her that if she didn't obey, she was going to cop it.

"Well go ahead, everyone's gone. Spit it out old man." Francis muttered, as he placed his arm around her shoulder. Zoey cast an uncomfortable look on her face. Good. I wasn't going to make it any easier for her.

"Bill, not now. We have all the time in the world to talk about whatever is bothering you." She laid her head in Francis' chest and watched me. She looked frightened.

"Anything you say to Zoey, you can say to me." Francis said confidently as he played with a strand of her hair.

Well if that's the way she wanted it, fine. I grabbed a cigarette, lit it and glared back at Zoey, giving her my last warning. "Fine then. I guess you're right Francis." I smiled and took a drag.

Zoey flinched, and moved herself away from Francis, "Alright, fine! Let me talk to him Francis. I'll only be _five minutes_." She sent me a glare back, almost as if she were thinking 'I'm going to kill you for this.'

I smiled back, mischievously. I've still got it.

I led her outside; we crossed the road and took shelter in an abandoned restaurant directly across from the safe room. There were no infected in sight, but that didn't mean I shouldn't take my assault rifle with me.

I offered Zoey a chair and held it out for her, the gentleman I am, and then I seated myself opposite her. Before I started, I flickered my cigarette out and then clasped my hands out in front of me. I turned to look at Zoey, but as usual, she was avoiding all eye contact.

"So shall we order?" I joked.

Zoey looked up at me and smiled, a small giggle escaping her lips. "That'd be great." She said quietly.

I sighed, "What were you thinking, Zoey?" I asked her.

A few small tears flowed down her cheeks and dropped onto the table. She covered her face with her hands and avoided looking at me. I reached over and held her hand. This girl really has been through so much.

She cleared the tears off her face and clutched onto my hand, trying to catch her breath back so she could speak. "I met these two i-infected. I k-know that probably doesn't make any s-sense, but they were friendly, at f-first." She inhaled once more and continued again, "They were both hurt, and hungry, and so I wanted to help them."

"Why would you want to help them Zoey? That's basically suicide." I whispered.

She choked on her words, "You don't know what its like on your own, Bill! All of this shit just goes through your mind, and the things you think about are utterly insane. No one can be sane at a time like that!"

I waited to think of something to say; sometimes I really didn't get Zoey and her actions. "That's understandable… I guess. Anyway," I motioned my hand for her to move on. "What exactly happened?"

She fumbled her finger over her lip, almost as if she were trying not to bite it, "As I said earlier, they were hungry. We came to a rooftop and we spotted four survivors in the distance, the same survivors we're living with now."

I nodded, tranced into her story. "And how did they attack?" I asked, sincerely curious.

"I told the Hunter to pounce everywhere, so that they'd startle Rochelle and then she'd back up into a car. The plan worked, and the car alarm screeched into the streets, the Smoker and I watched as the horde closed in from every direction."

I nodded, following along.

"The Hunter joined us again, and we climbed down the fire escape into an alleyway. I told the Smoker to grab onto Coach first, then once Coach reached us, Hunter would pounce onto him. Then the Smoker would grab another survivor, who happened to be Ellis and uhm, I guess they somehow fed off them for a while." Zoey flinched from the memory.

"This is brilliant." I whispered. Zoey gave me a stern look, I backed up. "But, still terrible." I mumbled.

"I didn't realise the Hunter would go so far. I felt so terrible, you have no idea." Zoey whispered.

"Did they see you?" I asked.

Zoey hesitated a moment before answering. "Ellis saw me before he blacked out." She mumbled.

I gasped, "But he hasn't said anything to his teammates. Are you sure he saw you?"

She nodded, "We talked about it, he said it was best they didn't find out, and that I had my reasons for doing what I did. I think he just wants to keep the teams together."

"Or keep you under his wing." I muttered.

"What do you mean?" she said, startled.

"He obviously is attracted to you Zoey. Why else wouldn't he tell his comrades? He wants to keep you as a part of the team." I was really starting to think twice about this Ellis.

Zoey had nothing to say, she was simply speechless. We took comfort in the silence for a while, until she calmed down and got herself together again. I used this opportunity to light another cigarette as I considered everything Zoey shared with me tonight.

"We have to tell them what happened." I said.

Zoey's face paled as she silently agreed.

* * *

**A/N: Okay I wasn't expecting such a long chapter, but here it is!  
I know there hasn't been much action in a while, which i do apologise for, I just need to get all of these details out of the way - I hope you guys aren't getting bored.  
Thank you to everyone for sticking with me this far, we haven't quite reached the end as of yet, so there's still a decent way to go.**

**A huge thanks to those who favourite and review, especially The Shining Freak, LinkinPark110, baby-kachuba, Emmaleigh, Demon-Kagetsuki, Duke of Night, loki2113 and xAme-chan!**


	13. The Truth

**Zoey's POV**

As eight survivors were cramped into one safe room, it was becoming increasingly difficult to avoid attracting unwanted attention. At one point, Nick stole a piece of Coach's food which sent him into a hissy fit as he launched himself at Nick, trying to recover his stolen scraps.

Everyone erupted into fits of laughter as the unsteady table rocked violently with everyone cramped around it. I hardly paid attention to what was occurring around me – all to focused on the present matter of _how_ I was going to tell these people what really happened.

I was frightened of their reaction, of what they were going to think. Would they throw an even bigger hissy fit and throw me out of the safe room? Or would they accept everything as old news, knowing that both Ellis and Coach had healed wounds and were alive and well?

I was hoping for the latter.

Although, it was a highly unlikely case.

"Zoey, you've hardly touched your food." Rochelle whined, all of her busy efforts cooking had been for all of us to enjoy.

I tried to steady a smile, "I'm really not that hungry."

"It's mine now." I watched as Coach leapt from his chair and grabbed a hold of my plate, once he sat back down he rubbed at his torso, "Damn, that hurt. If I ever find the sons o'bitches that tore me apart, I'll give em somethin' to cry about!"

"Don't go pushin' yerself now, Coach. I know you're still hurtin'." Ellis piped in. "I ever tell you about the time Keith tried to deep-fry a turkey? Third-degree burns over 90 percent of his body. His doctor called up, like, other doctors to look at him 'cause they'd never seen burns on top of existing burns―"

"Ellis, not now honey." Rochelle cut in. It was a good thing she did; it wasn't helping me feel any better.

"Okay." Ellis simply said.

Nick smirked, "Oh, and Coach, I'll wring their necks once we find 'em." I flinched.

"Damn zombies at the damn door again." Francis muttered as he grabbed his auto-shotgun and killed the two infected that stumbled too close to our safe room. Their dangling arms went limp as they fell silent.

"When are we getting out there again?" Louis asked, specifically speaking to both teams.

"There ain't any point for us to stay here no more." Coach said with his mouth full of food.

"I say it's a good idea we start to head out. It's fucking boring here." Nick complained as he sharpened a twig with his pocket knife, carving it into a toothpick.

Bill agreed, "It's time we say goodbye to Fairfield, folks. We're heading to Riverside in Pennsylvania, there's an evacuation site there that I know of. But it'll take a while to get there by foot."

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of my hometown, "We're heading to Pennsylvania?" I whispered as I felt the blood drain from my face.

Rochelle placed her hand on top of mine. She sensed my rapid change of emotion and realised that going to Pennsylvania wasn't in my top list of priorities. "It's the only way, Zoey. I'm sorry." Bill replied.

"What's the big deal, cupcake?" Nick didn't look up at me as he said that, he continued sharpening the end of his twig. It looked more like a stake than a damn toothpick.

"Don't call me that, Colonel Sanders." I muttered as I glared at him. Francis twitched back in his seat next to me; he still had his shotgun in his hand.

"I'll blast your face to smithereens, pretty boy." Francis warned. "Another comment and I swear I'll throw you outta here myself."

Nick grunted and shifted himself upright as he pointed the stake at Francis. "Listen here, you greasy vest-wearing monkey, you talk too much for your own good, don't threaten me if you're not gonna pull through with it, 'cause if you mess with me, I will kill you."

"That's it!" Francis shouted in the small confines of the safe room as he leapt from his chair and stalked over to Nick who was already standing. Francis pulled the first punch towards Nick's face – but missed as Nick dodged the incoming assault and kneed him in the stomach.

I gasped and leapt from my chair, as everybody within the room tried to grab a hold of the two dangerous men. Bill and Louis had already grabbed a hold of Francis and were trying to pull him back. Ellis, Coach and Rochelle tried to hustle Nick back, but Nick managed to escape their hold and sent another blast to Francis' face.

Blood was seeping from Francis' nose as the two went at each other again. I couldn't bare watching Francis being inflicted with pain. I knew that even if I tried to stop them, I would end up getting hurt.

"Outside, NOW." Nick shouted amidst the safe room. They both momentarily paused their fight and shoved the safe room door open – both disappearing from sight.

"Do you think we should go after them?" Rochelle mumbled in the complete silence of the room. I turned to gaze at her, wondering the same thing.

Bill grabbed his assault rifle and started for the door, the rest of us followed behind.

Once outside, we spotted Francis and Nick further down the road. I flinched just from watching. They both sent powerful shots to the face, and burly kicks to the knees and the abdomen. I sighed, men and their dominance…

Rochelle and I leant against the brick wall, taking comfort in the silence – apart from several cusses and groans from down the street. Bill watched them wearily, almost as if he were expecting infected to come stumbling out from the noise. Coach, I realised, didn't even come outside, but I thought back to his injury. It was probably safer for Coach to stay inside. Ellis watched the fight worriedly.

"How long are we gonna let them do this for?" Louis said, as his voice echoed down the street. It seemed Louis was implying that he wanted to join in on the fight.

"Just let them get it out of their systems. It's not like there's going to be any infected around." Bill ordered as he still clutched his rifle close to his heart.

I leant against the wall and closed my eyes. Several groans were still heard from Francis and Nick, but it seemed they were growing in tumult. My eyes flashed open; I really hoped they weren't going to kill each other. My vision veered off to the right as I saw a row of zombies stumbling down the street.

I guess Bill was wrong after all.

"Bill…" I warned.

"Not now, Zoey." He grumbled.

"No, B-Bill. We have a problem."

He turned to look back at me, following my vision and he gasped. "I'll hold these guys off. Rochelle, Zoey, Ellis and Louis, get back inside and grab your weapons!" he commanded.

"What about Francis and Nick?" Rochelle stammered.

"We'll deal with them when you're back out here. Zoey, grab both Nick's and Francis' weapons – hurry." I turned back around noticing several more infected filling the streets. We all rushed back inside simultaneously – all trying to fit inside the door at a time.

I grabbed my dual pistols, the only suitable weapon I had, as well as Nick's rifle and Francis' auto-shotgun. Rochelle and Louis both clasped their assault rifles and Ellis clutched his hunting rifle as they headed back out the door. It was time I find an assault rifle myself.

When I jogged back out, Louis and Rochelle were covering one side of the street, Coach, whom I hadn't noticed earlier was taking care of the small alleyway I dragged myself through. Bill was arguing with Francis and Nick, I couldn't hear what was going on from this distance – but it wasn't pretty. Ellis stood by me, unsure of what to do.

Instead, I kept to the rooftops, and assisted anyone who might need the extra hand. The infected were swarming the streets, and here I thought they were dying out. Bill limped his way back over to Ellis and I, "Francis and Nick will take care of that side of the street," he said as he pointed to the left, "I'll cover anyone I can, I just need you to help Coach out. He won't be as efficient with his injury." Bill turned to look at Ellis, "Ellis, help out Francis and Nick. We don't need them fighting during a horde." Before Ellis even had the chance to respond, Bill grabbed the weapons from me and was already heading towards Francis and Nick.

My eyesight turned to follow Coach and my heart almost shattered at the sight. Coach was already being dragged halfway down the alley – almost out of sight.

"Shit." I muttered as I sprinted my way towards him. "Coach! Hang on!" I used my dual pistols to shoot the infected that came for me instead of Coach. I shot one several times through the head and shoved another off to the side. They were closing in around me, but all I could focus on was getting over to Coach. I couldn't let him get hurt again. I caused enough pain for him.

I shoved my way through, the infected tried to grab me back by pulling on my clothing. I turned right around and sent the remainder of my bullets into the horde. Not bothering to see how many were down, I shot back around and fought my way over to Coach who was already at the end of the alleyway.

Once I was through the horde, I spotted the Smoker who was tearing through Coach's bandages. Shoving my way through, my lungs were suddenly incapacitated with the putrid smell of smoke. I shoved the Smoker out of the way, and as he stumbled back I took the time to reload my pistols. He regained himself and swiped at me, I ignored the searing pain that tore throughout my body and raised my pistol to his face and fired.

He emitted a struggled sigh, before vanishing in a puff of smoke. I turned back around to Coach, who was overwhelmed by the infected kicking and punching at him, as he lay helpless on the floor. I shot down as much of them as I could, and sighed with relief as Bill came rushing down the alley, shooting down every single infected in view. I crouched down to avoid his gunfire and tried to get Coach into a sitting position.

"Damn, girl. Thank the lord ya came, I thought I was a goner." I focused on his wounds, the bandages had been sliced through, but from what I could tell, the Smoker didn't have enough time to cut further into this abdomen.

"Thank you, Jesus!" I screamed out into the alley. The remainder of the infected had been killed in Bill's presence. I huffed from exhaustion and got back onto my feet to help Coach up. By the time Coach was standing, the others sprinted down the alley to join us.

"What the hell happened down here?" Rochelle shouted as her voice echoed off the closely spaced walls.

"S-Smoker." I puffed, as I rested my hands on my hips.

Ellis and Nick went to help steady Coach as they carried him back to the safe room. Bill patted my shoulder comfortingly, "You did good, kid."

"How the fuck are there more of them out there?" Nick bellowed as we all returned into the safe room.

"Are we really sure they die once we shoot em?" Ellis questioned as he placed Coach back down onto the couch.

Bill sighed and lit a cigarette, "They die, alright." He took a drag and blew the smoke out of his mouth, "But remember, we're in a city filled with populace. We may have taken care of a lot of them in one area, but don't think the others from different suburbs won't be able to hear us." He sighed again. "Especially the damn racket you two were making." He glared at Nick and Francis.

Taking in both Nick and Francis' appearances, I went by the sink and grabbed two dirty rags to soak them in water. Once drenched with water, I took them back over to the men. I threw Nick's rag onto his face, and bent down onto Francis' level to clean up his beaten face.

He flinched slightly as I washed the rag over his face, wiping up the dried blood that trickled down his nose. "Gees, Francis. Why'd ya have to let this happen to your face?" He flinched again as I applied pressure to his left eye. It was bruised – and darkening – within the minute.

The rag was already covered with his blood, so I rinsed the rag until it was clean enough before I made my way over to Francis. "Just a little more," I said, as I focused on scrubbing his grimy face. I rubbed the rag over his right eye and noticed he was staring at me. I blushed, "What?"

He smiled, "You're beautiful, babe." He whispered. He leant down to kiss me.

"Hey, hey! You're not kissing me until you're clean." I giggled.

He laughed, "Fine. It's worth the wait." My blush deepened.

After rinsing the rag a third time, Francis' face was cleaned of blood – as was Nick's. The overall destruction to their faces included a bruised eye for Francis and a busted lip for Nick. Once finished, I sat back down on Francis' lap and held my arm around his neck. Rochelle, I noticed, was busy bandaging Coach back up.

"How are ya feelin', buddy?" Ellis asked Coach who was lying across the second couch.

"Crazy sons' bitches messin' me up!" He sighed, "It hurts...but it ain't nothing."

I smiled, relieved to hear that he's going to be okay. For a second there I thought he wasn't going to make it through. And what would I tell the others, then? It still would have been my fault for not reaching him in time. I sighed silently to myself. Either way, I wasn't going to win. Either way, they had to know the truth.

The silence of the room was gnawing at me, but I knew it had to be now or never. "I know who attacked Coach and Ellis." I said quietly.

I didn't expect the words to leave my system so soon. I didn't have the guts to admit I attacked them, yet here I was, in the middle of the safe room after a brawl fight, openly admitting it as the love of my life and the bastard who shot me dead both gave me a strange look.

"Excuse me?" Rochelle said, as she finished patching Coach up.

Bill met my gaze and nodded, silently giving me the strength to admit my faults. I ignored the pleading look Ellis cast me from across the room.

"I-I know who attacked them." I whispered. Louis and Francis met each others gazes with a confused look. Rochelle and Nick leant in towards me as Coach watched from the other couch.

"Who the fuck was it?" Nick demanded as he took a hold of his stake.

"Don't pressure the girl, Nick." She scolded at him, "Who was it, sweetie?" she asked.

"I-It was me." I said. "I did it."

Silence filled the room as everyone took in what I said. Nobody moved, nobody said anything. I felt the tears stream down my cheeks because of the silence.

"B-But I'm sorry." I whimpered. "I'm so sorry." I clutched onto Rochelle's arm, begging her to believe me. She shook her head in disbelief.

"How…" she started, but stopped. She was speechless. "Why did you do this to us?"

"There's no need for her to explain it Rochelle." Nick said nicely. I smiled, maybe they would forgive me? "We're getting the fuck outta here." He stood suddenly and grabbed his assault rifle. "Ellis! Help me get Coach up, will you?"

"No wait!" I shouted. "You can't leave."

Rochelle released her arm from my hand, "Well don't expect us to stay, Zoey. You know, I thought I liked you; I was close enough to thinking of you as family. But that's gone out the damn window." She rushed to the other side of the room and grabbed her rifle.

"Maybe you idiots should let Zoey explain what the hell happened!" Francis shouted.

"There's nothing for her to explain, dickhead. We'll be outta here by the time she spits it out!" Nick bent down and helped Coach to his feet, "Ellis! Help me out, damn it!"

"Naw, c'mon guys. I think we should listen to what Zo has to say." Ellis said.

"Ellis." Coach spoke for the first time. "We're leaving."

The words sent a shockwave of emotion throughout my body. As much as I deserved this, I didn't want to see them go.

"C'mon, everyone. I think its best we talk this through." Bill stood from the couch and blocked the hallway entrance.

"Bill, there's nothing to say." Rochelle said as she shoved Ellis' weapon into his chest.

"Outta the way, old man." Nick shoved passed him and left the safe room.

Rochelle held Coach by the waist as they left the safe room next. I leapt from the couch and grabbed Ellis' arm, "Ellis, please. Please bring them back." I pleaded.

"It's too late Zo." He mumbled before he left the room with them. I ran to the door, about to shout out to them before I was hauled back.

"Let go of me!" I shouted.

"Stop it Zoey." It was Bill's voice by my ear. "We look after our own."

* * *

I couldn't sleep that night. It was our last night in here before we took off for Riverside. Bill suggested we get a good night's rest for the journey ahead.

But I couldn't stop replaying the events that took place today, and the fact that they had all left. I expected they were going to throw us out of the safe room – at least me. As much as I expected Rochelle to feel negative about the situation, I didn't think she was going to react that badly to it. But then I realised if I were in her place, I'd react just as bad as she did - probably even worse. I expected just as much from Nick, and I was relieved that he didn't attack me with the stake - I've been through enough pain as it is.

I felt for Coach. I really did. I was so sorry for everything I caused him - all of the pain from the Hunter and the damn Smoker a few hours ago. There was nothing I could do to take it back. And then there was Ellis. The kind-hearted, and sweet hick from Savannah. He always treated me better than what I deserved. But I blew that too.

Several words were etched into my mind – words so powerful it wasn't going to be easy for me to forget.

_Why did you do this to us?_

_I was close to thinking of you as family._

_There's nothing to say._

_It's too late, Zo._

I let the tears fall as I snuggled closer into Francis' arms, waiting for the unsettling night to pass on.

* * *

"Everyone got their weapon?" Bill asked.

We all nodded simultaneously. No one said a word.

"Right. I'll carry the last med kit. Louis, take some water for the walk."

Bill turned towards me, "Zoey, we'll have to get you another weapon. You gonna be okay with the pistols?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, they've served me well." I smiled slightly.

"It's time we get going then. We might be able to catch up to the others if we don't run into too much trouble. The walk will be long, dangerous and unsettling. To get to Riverside we'll have to pass through an industrial area that's just outside Fairfield. There are several abandoned and dilapidated warehouses around there, so it's best we travel carefully."

"Bring it on." Francis smiled as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

Bill nodded sternly. "To Riverside."

We exited the safe room, forced the door to shut closed and I let the old memories lock themselves away as we started for our next destination.

* * *

**A/N: Finally they're going to leave that damn safe room! Sorry for dragging that part on, but at least now I'll be able to put the action back in.**

**Thankyou to everyone for your ongoing support for this story, love y'all. A thanks to The Shining Freak, Emmaleigh, xAme-chan, LinkinPark110 twice :P, A-Is-Watching, Duke of Night, RisingInsanity and the Handsome Alanimal (for his interesting + humourous review) for your reviews, I'm thankful you take the time to review this story, it means a lot to me!**


	14. The Turnpike

**Zoey's POV**

It was dawn of the fifth day as we spotted a hint of bright light within the distance. My heart lifted at the sight, and I found I was rapidly closing the expanse as my jogging feet carried me closer. After all, we'd been on the road for almost five days, only stopping once to rest and gather ourselves together.

We passed the industrial quarter in two of the five days. I didn't know whether it was pure luck, or great skill that allowed us to pass through undetected and unharmed. Either way, it seemed to be a miracle. However, the closer we were travelling toward Riverside, the more infected roamed the forests and the roads. It was a clear sign that we were coming up to civilisation.

We still hadn't come across the other survivors ever since they stormed out on us. I wasn't going to buckle under the depression that usually overcame me, because in the end I got what I deserved. But that wasn't going to stop me from worrying about them – hoping they were okay, especially Ellis and Rochelle.

"Zoey, what did you find, kid?" Bill's voice interrupted me from my thoughts as the rest of the men stood beside me.

"I-I think we've reached Riverside." My heart elated at the thought.

All men followed the point of my finger as the sight of bright light caught their attention. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Louis, ecstatic upon realising we were that much closer to salvation, sprinted for the light, the leaves on the floor crunching under the pressure of his weight.

"Hang on, son. Watch out for the damn infected!" Bill barked before jogging after him – a slight limp to his posture.

I caught Francis' eyes and grinned. He clasped my hand and we sprinted after the guys. From what I could see here, several large boulders collided with the trees on the side of the road and blocked most of the entrance into the suburb. The branches shattered over the road, thus giving us the harder job of fighting through the splintered branches.

I climbed over one of the larger branches – Francis held me along the waist to support me – and I easily climbed over the mess of the debris. Once Francis joined the gang, I realised we were on a road that led directly into Riverside.

Louis and Bill were already searching through a police car that had broken down, along with several other abandoned cars strewn over the length of the road. In the trunk of the car was a stack of magazines, and I sighed with relief as I saw a submachine gun as well as a few health kits to help us along the way.

"This baby is mine!" I grabbed the gun before anyone else had a chance to see it and relished it in my arms, polishing the exterior as if it were my new child.

"We got some ammo over here!" Francis walked to the side and yelled into the car that Bill and Louis were both searching through.

"Damn it, Francis!" Bill bellowed.

"Cut that shit out, man!" Louis screeched.

I chuckled and placed my dual pistols back into the holsters before I realised the light I saw from behind was coming from the police car. I followed the car's headlights as they shone onto the entrance sign. The sign was splintered and half of the letters were illegible, but I knew this sign well enough to piece the words together.

_Visit Historic_

_RIVERSIDE_

_Home of the Riverside Church_

I shivered as I thought of my parents. I tried to block out the memories that clouded my thoughts as we made our way closer to Pennsylvania. I didn't want to remember the memories that brought me pain and heartache, especially the pain of losing my family – of being the cause of their deaths. I think that's what's been the hardest for me out of this entire apocalypse, the fact that I had to kill my father, and watch as my mother turned into a savage monster. It was hard to have to go through something like that, but harder enough to have to escape the disaster, and put it all behind you. After all, life goes on.

Long enough until every life in the world has moved on to death.

A cold hand snaked around my waist as it snapped me back into reality and I stumbled backwards, flinching from the touch. Once I realised it was Francis, I walked into this arms, into the inviting warmth that calmed the angst and sadness inside of me. He must have known I felt uneasy about returning so close to my hometown, but he somehow gave me the strength to carry on. He was my shining star, one of the only reasons why I was still alive, and why I was still fighting.

He bent his head down and his lips met mine; they were soft and sweet as I felt one hand caress my cheek. His lips trailed over my cheek and down my neck and I sighed and closed my eyes. Sure, I knew it wasn't the time to have a moment, especially during an apocalypse and all, but his kisses erased all of the pain and death that I was so accustomed to. It almost felt as if I were back in college, as if the world were normal.

_Normal…_There was nothing normal about our world anymore.

"You ladies ready to go?" Francis asked. He met my eyes and winked as he led the group on.

We continued along the length of the road, startling a few infected that were stumbling aimlessly around the vicinity. I watched Francis' back as he took on every single one of them, and _damn_, he looked good doing it. He walked right up to the bridge and huffed in annoyance. The entire bridge had collapsed, preventing us from crossing.

I groaned. "And of course, the bridge is out…" I muttered.

"We'll just go down here." Louis pointed out along the side of the bridge, where there was a grassy hill descending below the bridge. It led to a large field crawling with infected. They were alarmed at the sight of our four flashlights, and sprinted towards us, snarling with rage and hunger.

With my new submachine gun, this was going to be a cinch. It was easy to take down the infected that stumbled towards us; our top concern was the special infected that lurked in the darkness. Once the field was cleared, we continued straight down the path we'd taken which led to climbable rungs along a stone wall.

Francis, taking the lead, climbed up first, followed closely behind by Louis. I went up soon after with Bill at my back. After securing my position on the second landing, I realised Bill wasn't climbing up behind me and panicked. I squinted, trying to catch sight of him down below. My face paled as I realised he was halfway through the field, constricted by a Smoker.

"Bill! HOLD ON!" I screamed towards him. Without thinking, I jumped from the second level, and landed with my knees crunching under the impact of the fall and started sprinted over to him. But my knees buckled under the pressure, as I realised I had done damage to the muscles as I landed harshly. I staggered, trying to prevent myself from falling over.

_Bill needs your help. Get your ass over there and help him out! _

I looked over to him, and surely he wasn't doing too well, and I was scared he had a few broken ribs. I jogged over to him, trying to strengthen my muscles and I pulled out my pistols and launched them into the Smoker as he exploded in a puff of gassy fog.

Bill dropped to his feet and gasped from the smoke. "You're gonna be okay, Bill. I'm sorry I didn't realise earlier, it was all my –"

"Don't sweat it, kid." He let out a hoarse whisper. I heard Francis and Louis catch up behind us.

"Are you okay, Bill?" Louis lifted Bill to his feet and patted his back, "We gotta keep movin'. Don't you fall out on us now?" I smiled at the encouragement Louis was offering as we all approached the ladder with extra caution.

Francis and I swamped the infected with our bullets as we continued down the road leading to a pitch black tunnel.

"Fantastic. A tunnel." Francis muttered as he walked through first, guided by his flashlight.

"Don't be an ass Francis." Bill recovered as quickly as he could from his fall. My guess was that he had taken some temporary pain pills.

We set off into the jet-black tunnel, guided by the light emitting from our flashlights. I had to admit, it was a freakin' hard task, what with the infected hiding in the shadows and all. We walked in a diamond, Francis leading the front, and Louis at the back. Bill and I took the left and the right as we set off together down the tunnel. The further we disappeared from the sunrise, the darker and colder it became inside.

Off to my right, I realised the wall disappeared beside me, and I rapidly went to investigate. There was a crevice in the wall, where a large green garbage can took up most of the space. Before I turned back around, a glint of silver caught my eye. I flashed my weapon across the item and smiled greedily as I swiped the pipe bomb.

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about." I broke the silence of the tunnel as the men came to join me.

"I'll grab the Molotov." Bill suggested as we continued to set off deeper into the tunnel.

Abandoned cars were constantly toppled along the path we were trying to take. It seems like people had used this as a chance to escape the outbreak, although quite unsuccessfully. We reached a blockage of cars that had crashed into one another, blocking our lane through the tunnel. Groans and snarls were heard behind the destruction of the vehicles, and we realised the other side was certainly swarming with infected.

"Pipe bomb?" I asked.

Francis snorted. "We can take em down!" he bellowed into the tunnel as it echoed off of the stone walls.

"Shut up –!" Bill started.

But it was too late.

Several snarls screeched from behind the cars as one by one, infected men and women toppled over the cars and sprinted over to us. I raised my submachine gun and fired into their heads, watching as their blood and brain matter splattered the walls and coated me with a fresh layer of blood and grime. As we became surrounded, much too often I felt the occasional scratch and tearing of my skin and I muffled the whimpers that escaped my lips.

Too busy concentrating to kill the damn infected, I didn't realise the sudden gurgle from above me. Before I had the chance to look up, thick, green slime covered every inch of my skin and clothes, and I was unable to see anything. And it stunk like absolute shit!

"I can't see anything!" I stumbled backwards, hitting the stone wall, trying to rid my face of the puke. "Shit!" I muttered as I felt several more infected tear at my clothes.

"Don't worry babe, I gotcha." I heard Francis' voice first, and then the blast of his shotgun as the last of the infected fell dead at our feet. He strolled over toward me, from what I could see, and helped in removing the vomit from my face.

I grimaced. "How can you touch me with this _shit_ all over me?" I whined.

He laughed helplessly, "I'd only do it if it were you. Can't have that slime covering up that smile." The last of the puke was removed from my face as I looked up into his eyes. He winked and grabbed a hold of my hand to help me up onto the car.

"Don't worry. I got this." I let go of his hand and climbed up onto the next car, all the while smiling with glee. This was actually really fun!

"C'mon Zoey." Bill sighed as he scratched his snow white beard.

"Right." I mumbled. "Sorry."

I jumped off a white van and landed swiftly on my feet as we continued on our way. I flashed my light over every crevice of the tunnel, attempting to find anything of use, or finding any infected lurking around. I stopped dead on my feet as my flashlight ignited a steel-linked fence that blocked the road of the tunnel.

"Well that's just plain unlucky." Louis complained as he slammed his rifle into the steel blockade.

"Maybe there's a way around." Bill suggested as he shined his light across the tunnel. "How 'bout down there?" We watched him limp over to the left as he opened a door that led out of the tunnel into a separate room.

"Sounds good to me." Francis shrugged, following behind me.

I walked behind Louis, who followed Bill as he started down a few stairs, leading to another empty room. Again, Bill set down another set of stairs which led to two unopened doors.

"So where we headed, grandpa?" Francis asked from next to me.

We had arrived into a narrow hallway occupied by two doors. Bill, in the lead, stopped suddenly, unsure of which door to take and where it would lead us. I caught a glimpse of his thoughtful face. "We could split up and search through the rooms." He suggested, still unsure.

I gulped, "I think its best if we all stay together."

"Agreed." Louis stated.

"Alright then." Bill concluded. "Through this door first."

Bill walked up to the door that was facing the entrance to the room we'd just come from. He opened it cautiously, ensuring the door wasn't going to creak under the pressure. I heard Bill sigh with relief, as he opened the door completely and stepped inside. The room seemed to be some sort of a storage room with empty cardboard boxes scattered around the shelves and the floor. I also noticed several small pipes connecting to another room.

In the corner of the room was a second door leading into another room. Bill did the same as he did for the first door, and entered. He backed up immediately, grabbed his assault rifle and fired at what I guessed were infected. I waited until the coast was clear before he stepped into the next room as I followed in after Louis.

The room was larger than previous, and held several other doors leading into unknown rooms. We had entered from the second floor on steel landings that squared around the top level. Bill held his assault rifle and pointed his flashlight as he took more steps to investigate the room.

"Found the other door." He said, as his flashlight pointed to the door that lead to the narrow hallway. Bill exited down small steps that lead to the bottom floor, occupied by three large pillar-generator objects. We all followed through, following Bill's careful demeanour.

Bill suddenly yelped as an infected jumped out in front of him and swiped at his neck. He showed no mercy by blowing off the remains of his head.

"Close call, Bill." I joked. I saw his lips pull up in a crooked smile.

"Ammo here." He distracted the conversation by reloading his rifle as we did with our weapons.

We were about to set off until a minute piercing sound caught my attention. It almost sounded like a fly buzzing around my ear, except as the seconds went by, the buzzing increased in tempo and pitch – almost as if something was getting closer. My heart stopped.

"Do you guys hear that?" I whispered as the sounds grew louder.

Bill, Francis and Louis finished reloading their weapons, wary of the approaching sounds of the infected. The snarls grew in tumult as I heard them scratching at doors, beating themselves aside to compete for their food – to compete for us. Bill moved to stand in the middle of the room, motioning for us to follow his lead. We backed up behind him, standing back-to-back as we faced every direction. Francis shifted closer toward me, almost as if he was defending me from the incoming onslaught. There was no way I was going to be some little weakling through this. We fought together, and we fought for one another.

I clutched onto my submachine gun tightly, silently anticipating the attack of the horde as I heard them beat a door down upstairs. One by one – as they shoved each other out of the way – they descended the stairs and slashed their way through each other to devour their much needed meal. The infected woman who reached me first screamed in my face, sending the blood of the innocent spitting onto my own face. She spread her arms out, almost as if she were reaching for me. I watched, sickened, as the skin on her face peeled off, revealing her jawbone underneath.

I felt my throat widen as if to puke, but Francis pulled the trigger too soon as her face exploded and he kicked her body to the ground. I had to snap out of the reverie and back the group.

"We stick together!" Francis bellowed into the shrilling room.

I shuffled closer toward the group, trying to keep the square intact, but it was difficult, especially simultaneously facing a horde attack. I pulled and held the trigger of my gun as several bullets pierced the heads of those who came too close to me. Others, missed the bullets by inches, clawed their way closer and scratched at my arms. Once I'd positioned my weapon toward them, they dropped to the floor, coating the cement with thick layers of skin and puddles of blood.

But those that fell were only replaced with others trying to get in. I clicked on the trigger again, but no bullets shot out. I muttered under my breath and I reached for a magazine in my holster whilst emptying the current magazine. My fingers shook violently, as the infected pushed their way in, slashing and kicking at me.

"Ah, horseshit!" Bill barked into the room. His sudden shouts made me flinch with fear as I dropped the magazine into the pile of dead infected. I groaned, avoiding the punch that aimed for my face and dropped to the floor, slapping my palm against the floor trying to search for the magazine. It was then that I felt enclosed, and I realised the guys had all gone to help Bill out. I felt a sharp kick to my hip, and I staggered to my left, gripping the floor with my fingers to avoid falling over.

A sharp piercing howl came from behind me, and I recognised that shrill growl. I didn't allow myself to panic; instead, I crawled through the legs of the infected, trying to find my way out. But leg after leg passed, and I really wasn't getting anywhere. The howl above me was closer, and it… wait.

Oh, shit.

He landed on my back as I was slammed into the floor. My chin smashed against the face of another. I felt a swipe at my jacket as a hole was ripped open by his razor-sharp claws. I felt a gooey substance on my back – realising it was either blood of another or his own saliva as he slashed at my jacket again.

"Get the _fuck_ off me!" I attempted to roll over, but he held me down harder. Angrily, his claws finally came into contact with my skin as it split open, the blood flowing freely and quickly. I wasn't going to let myself be torn to shreds by this sadistic infected. He was going to get what he deserved.

I mustered every ounce of energy and strength left within me and grabbed at his right foot. I rolled myself over harshly as I was now the one on top of him. He yelped, with a sudden hint of fear in his facial features. But it was gone by the time it appeared, anger replaced him as he slashed at my face. With super speed I never knew I had, I grabbed his arm and pinned it down as I growled back at him.

"Don't you fucking dare try anything!" I shouted into his face.

A loud outroar hollered into the room as the infected around me – whom I hadn't even noticed – were obliterated by Francis' shotgun. His roar continued to reflect off the walls of the closely-spaced room as I felt my hearing scream for silence. I heard footsteps behind me as someone pushed me off of the Hunter and land their bullets into his chest.

Francis met me on the floor and grabbed me by the waist to shift me into a standing position. "You okay darlin'? He didn't hurt you too much, did he? That little fucker… I should have stayed behind with you." He moved the hair out of my face as he tried to capture my eyesight. "Zo, you okay?" His voice held a hint of alarm.

I huffed in annoyance, "I had that! Who the hell killed him?" I turned back around to Bill and Louis; both were drenched in Boomer bile. My face shifted from anger to a smile as I laughed hysterically at their appearance. I hoped I looked nothing like that. Francis joined in laughing next to me.

"Shut your trap." Bill muttered as he grabbed extra magazines.

"We don't look that bad." Louis, trying to avoid all the sudden attention, followed after Bill.

The laugher died down as I spotted the Hunter on the floor. I narrowed my eyes and glared at them, "Who killed him?"

Francis looked dumbfounded. Bill looked toward Louis. Louis looked at the floor.

Guilty.

"I had him, Louis!" I huffed again in annoyance. "He was mine!"

"C'mon Zoey, don't make a big deal outta it, girl. You can take the next one." He sat down by the wall, twisting his now white-stained work shirt to remove the bile.

"Damn right I will. Just 'cause I'm a girl, doesn't mean I can't take care of myself." I looked them all in the eyes before I grabbed extra magazines for myself. "So, we goin'?"

Francis looked at me worriedly. "What about your back? We have to patch that up."

I shrugged my shoulders and tried to ignore the pain. I couldn't let them see me weakened and hurt. "We'll patch it up once we reach the safe house." All of the men sighed and collected their weapons as we headed for the opposite stairs in the top right corner. They led out to a small grassy field, with boulders along the left side of the path we were going to take. There were no infected in sight, and I realised they had all heard our earlier commotion – and were now probably dead.

I lead the way, confident that a safe house was just up the stony path. I climbed atop of a boulder, trying not to flinch from the pain of my back and saw the familiar red steel door a few feet away. "Safe house ahead!" Thank the lord. I could feel my blood drip down my back.

I unlocked the bolted door and made my way inside, waiting for the men to slumber in. "Wouldn't it be funny if a Tank came right about now?" Francis said.

Bill cast him a look, "I'd leave you outside to deal with it on your own." He stomped in his cigarette before entering the safe room. "After all, you're indestructible aren't you?" Bill stated, sarcastically.

Francis, now with a worried look on his face caught my eyes, and his face rapidly changed to a smug grin. "Yeah, I'd take him." He seemed to power walk inside, and I laughed at his silly charade. I waited for Louis next before I blocked the door with a metal cylinder and went to place my weapons down.

As I did, I stepped on a familiar assault rifle left abandoned on the floor and my heart lifted.

We were catching up to our long lost friends.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter down, another few to come.**

**Hope you've enjoyed the road so far, and thank you for those who have supported me throughout this story and for those who have reviewed. The Shining Freak, The Zipper Ripper, Duke of Night, xAme-chan, Emmaleigh, Linkin Park110 and luis cepeda, I can't begin to describe just how much your reviews mean to me.**

**Look out for the next chapter, I'm hoping it won't take as long as this one did. Cheeeers.**


	15. Author's Note

Hello fellow fanfictioners!

Noooooooooo I haven't forgotten about this story! I know it's been yonks since I've last updated anything but going through year 12 exams doesn't help any =/

I've already started my exams, so all that's on my days list of 'Things To Do' is basically study… otherwise I'll cop it from my parents =.=

BUUUUUUUUUUUT don't think I've forgotten about you guys. I just can't handle my workload at this time. Expect to see something up in less than 2 weeks, that's a promise I'll make for you.

Thank you for your ongoing support, it gives me the strength to continue. I love you guys, so stay tuned and a sorry for the long wait. DX

***** Okay so I hate making you guys wait. I've been writing as much as possible during my study breaks. I'd have to say I'm happy with what I've got, which is aprox 3000 words so far. I'll keep going every time I get the chance to. I just hope its not another way to procrastinate thats really the last thing I need. I'm hoping to see it up asap, and I'll keep updating what I've got so far.*****

Also just quickly, thank you to those who appreciate my excuses of not uploading sooner, but well, we all know what exams do to our social lives, right? Also a thanks for those who wished me luck, I'm gonna need it to blitz English

*********I've almost finished the chapter - should be up in 1-2 days! Hopefully sooner rather than later. Just going through the editing process and fixing up a few parts. Thought you guys might like an update. Stay tuned!*********


	16. The Drains

"Stay still Zoey!" He pressed on sensitive skin again, and I couldn't help but flinch. It _did_ hurt.

"But it hurts!" I whined into my jacket as he applied the bandage around my back. He sat behind me to get easier access to the wound. The swipe from the Hunter hurt like hell, so it wasn't my problem that I kept flinching from the pain. His fingers lingered along my waist line and they tickled my stomach. I flinched again this time, but not from pain, instead from the sensation of feeling his warm hands glide over my cold skin.

"Zoey." He warned.

I smiled, my face hidden from his sight as he pulled my white tank top back down to cover my stomach.

I was about to get up from the staircase when I felt his lips on my shoulder. I jolted from the sudden touch that sent goose bumps down the length of my arms. His lips moved from my shoulder to my neck, and then he trailed back to my shoulder.

I closed my eyes and sighed with contentment as his lips trailed over my neck a second time, nibbling and caressing the skin that was on fire from his touch. His hands moved to my waist, slowly sliding his fingers underneath the tank top, my skin blazing wherever I felt his touch.

Before I made any sense of my actions, I shoved his hands off of me and turned around to face him. I pushed him down against the staircase of the safe room, ignoring both Bill and Louis who wished they'd rather be out with the infected instead of in here. My lips crushed against his as I flung myself on to him. I straddled his waist as my hands worked on removing his black vest. He pulled me in hungrily, his hands gliding along the skin of my back.

In that moment, I forgot the apocalypse even existed. It felt as if life itself had frozen for us, as if it had frozen for this moment. I ignored the groans behind the wall and I didn't care that Bill and Louis were in the same room. All I cared about was feeling his lips move in synchronisation with mine and our erratically pulsing heart beats.

I moved my lips to his neck, sucking at his flesh as if I was hungry for him and I heard him call my name longingly. I guessed it was a good response, so I followed down his collarbone, until I distinctly heard my name again.

"Zoey." He whispered.

"What am I doing wrong?" I huffed as I stayed straddled along his waist, holding myself up against him.

He smiled, almost laughing, "You're not doing anything wrong." He whispered again.

A puzzled look spread across my face. "Then what is it?" I asked, confused.

He laughed this time. "Not _here_." He gestured to the two men across the room, talking behind three huge pipes dominating the room and smiled. "Not now." He caressed my cheek and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

I blushed from the sudden awkwardness. I'd never in my life been this far before. Quite frankly, as soon as the infection hit, I didn't think anything romantically possible was ever going to exist for me. Yet here I was, clearly too far ahead from what I ever expected… and I was in love.

He sensed my quietness and held me in his lap, twirling his fingers across the palm of my hand. "I've never loved anyone, as much as I love you." He whispered against my ear and his cool breath sent a second wave of goose bumps across my arms. "In fact, with all of the romantic acquaintances I've had over my life, none of them had I ever thought of loving."

I listened closely to what he was saying; trying to ignore the pang of jealousy I felt when he talked about previous 'girlfriends'. "Why me?" I whispered back.

I heard the confusion in his voice, "What do you mean, why you?" he asked.

I _almost_ scoffed. Could he be serious? Did he _not_ realise how farfetched his seemed? I leapt from his grip and stood to face him directly. "Francis, I'm hardly anywhere near as exciting as to all the showgirls I bet you dated. I don't have their spark, o-or their attractiveness, and I'm _certainly_ not as interesting as they are."

There was a glint of darkness in his eyes that vanished almost as soon as it appeared. I managed to see it even if he didn't want me to. "Zoey–"

"Have I ever told you how I spent my life before all of this madness occurred?" I interrupted him. "I was always holed up in my dorm watching old horror films. As lame and as stupid as that sounds, especially as every other girl out there was busy with the boys, I always wanted to be alone. None of their interests ever captured me. And believe it or not, I was happy."

I smiled and leant down before him by the staircase. "And then you came along and changed everything. I've never loved anyone before, Francis. You're my first… and I'm sorry if that scares you in the slightest, but I'd rather it is you than some random dude from my college."

Francis held my gaze and captured my lips with a quick kiss. His hands grabbed both sides of my head as he hardened his stare onto my eyes. "Everything you've said is the reason _why_ I love you. You're nothing like the ordinary girls I used to date. You're special in your own way, and that's because I've never met anyone like you before. You have to realise I love you for yourself, not just because you've got the most amazing green eyes or soft lips I've ever kissed… not that I don't count that in though." He chucked to himself before continuing on. "You're not shallow like them, and you don't have some fancy-ass attitude to put yourself above others."

His face hardened to stone as he took a deep breath, "Considering everything I've said today, I'm the shallow one. I was the one who used to chase after those types of girls." He paused for a moment. "If only I'd met you earlier…" He brought the smile back to his face and dragged me in for a tight hug. "Then again, I probably woulda scared you some. I don't look like a friendly guy." He chuckled into my ear as I let out a giggle.

"You've really got to get over that attitude Francis." I laughed. "You're not scary at all." He sent me a disbelieving look. I smirked at him before releasing myself from the hug and stumbled over to a small table holding the weapons and first aid kits. I was about to reload my submachine gun when I glanced back at Nick's old weapon on the floor.

I studied the assault rifle for a solid minute until I brought it to my hands and reloaded the contents of the empty cartridges. "You're mine now." I said to myself. I wouldn't know why Nick would be leaving it behind. Perhaps, there was another weapon more to his liking beforehand. Either way, his weapon was now mine. Although tainted with his demeaning attitude and care for almost nothing in the world – besides himself – I was going to treat this baby to killing a good share of infected.

Fifteen minutes later we were locked and loaded, and almost ready to leave. I stood waiting impatiently by the doorway waiting for the dwindling men to hurry up. That was when I noticed Bill clutch at his heart as he dragged himself up the flight of stairs leading to where I was.

A sliver of fear crawled up my spine. I'd never seen Bill so vulnerable, never seen an ounce of retaliation or sacrifice. But he was an elderly man, and he wasn't getting any younger. This type of activity several hours a day wasn't helping his health. I ignored the gloating from Francis as my feet carried me over toward Bill.

"Do you need to rest a while more?" I asked, sheepishly. He had his moments when he could snap at you.

He grumbled, "I'm fine, Zoey. Better to keep at it and to catch the others."

I stared at him in concern, but he avoided my gaze. "How's the wound from that Smoker earlier?"

He caught my eyes and nodded, "All patched up. I'm ready, so let's get going."

He moved passed me toward Louis, but even I knew better. I grabbed him from behind and pushed him against the wall – safely of course. I started to undo the buttons on his uniform when his hand stopped me.

"Don't think I don't know you well enough, old man. Let me see your wound."

Despite the fact that I was clearly undressing Bill for _safety_ precautions, I could feel the glare of Francis pierce Bill's forehead like a light from a red laser. He shouldn't feel _jealous_ about this; even I knew how wrong that sounded.

Bill let out a sigh and unbuttoned his uniform for me, revealing a bruised torso and a slash by his chest. As bad as this seemed, at least Bill wasn't suffering from heart conditions. I swiftly grabbed my health kit from my back and emptied its contents.

He flinched under the impact of my fingers as I applied ointment and bandages across his chest. "Don't play a hero." I scolded him.

He grumbled. "I hate being babied, Zoey. I would have been fine."

Louis agreed with me. "From now on, no hiding anything from us. We're family Bill, and we can't lose you to some wound you didn't take care of."

I packed the rest of the contents back into the kit and sprawled it across my back. "Can we go now?" Francis whined impatiently from the safe room door.

That was so typical of Francis. I huffed, grabbed _my_ assault rifle before following along behind Francis.

I heard Louis gasp. "This must be the sewer drainage pipes." His voice was full of recognition and realisation.

Francis huffed. "How the hell do you know that?"

Louis crossed his arms and faced us all, "Interesting true story. In 1975 the local township d-"

Francis interrupted. "You know what? I just found out I don't care! Let's go!" Francis unhinged the metal block from the safe room door and ventured out into the sewers. I gave Louis a sympathetic smile before following along.

So my first thought about sewers, is they stunk like absolute _shit._ Every breath I took only filled my lungs with the putrid odour of sewage which then widened my throat as if to puke. There was no way I could handle stumbling through sloshes of sewerage just to reach Riverside. If only I knew how much gunk was down here, maybe I wouldn't have used the toilet so frequently.

I shuddered and followed the men into a huge circular drain. Every step we took echoed through the drain as if our shoes were made of iron. But we made it out the end eventually into a narrow circular room with bars preventing anyone from falling down to the ground level – and into the infested waters.

I clutched the bars trying to see down when I spotted a body emitting green gas particles. "There's a Smoker down there." I warned the men as they jogged around the circular landing to spot the ladder down.

"I'll go down first. Francis follows along behind me." Bill ordered as he began his descent down the rungs.

"What about us?" Louis demanded.

"Stay and cover us from up here." He commanded.

I sighed, this was so typical. As soon as Bill dropped to the floor, I shoved Francis aside gently. "You heard the man, cover him from up here." I forced myself through the narrow passage down to the ground level as I heard Francis shout from above me.

"Zoey!" He growled.

I muffled my laughter as I grabbed my assault rifle and shot my bullets straight through the infected heads. They exploded abruptly, sending a splatter of blood into the tainted air. A cloud of gas incapacitated my lungs as I realised Bill must have shot the Smoker.

Bill realised I was down here, and instead of grumbling like a pissed off old man, he shifted his lips into a smile. "Good on ya." He patted my back before standing directly behind me as we faced opposite directions to take down the remaining zombies.

I faced ahead, my eyes on the tunnel in front of me until I found movement in the water. I realised they were down there, silently waiting for untainted flesh to linger down to them. I snarled and shot several bullets into the waters, igniting a thunder of growls as yellowed bodies emerged from the water. Their pale soulless eyes found mine as I began my shooting spree.

But as I loaded my rifle, I realised half were already down. Their bodies lay motionless on the water's surface.

"You didn't think I was going to miss out on the fun, did you?" I heard Francis whisper into my ear tauntingly.

I glared at him. "You're going to cop it." I warned him as I walked over to an ammo stack and grasped at a few magazines. He joined alongside me and laughed.

"I doubt that Zoey." He smirked.

He was really asking for it. "You really shouldn't have said that."

He glimpsed at me, and before I let that evil smile crawl onto his face, I pushed him into the water and watched as his body created a tidal wave of flowing water that showered against the walls of the room. I laughed hysterically, clutching at my heart for my air flow to stabilise.

He surfaced moments later, a look that screamed 'you're dead'. He lunged for me and clasped his hand around my arm and thrust me into the water with him. He let go immediately, until I felt his hands around both of my ankles.

I was about to break the surface of the water, when his hands dragged me back under. I knew it was all for fun, but I was running out of breathable oxygen to satiate my lungs. I realised Francis still hadn't let go of my ankles, so I kicked him vigorously, trying to alert him that I was losing breath – and _fast._

He finally released my ankles as I swiftly swam to the surface of the water. Once out, I gasped in huge quantities of polluted air as I spluttered water from my mouth. "What the hell, Francis?" I screamed at the figure beside me.

But no one was there. Instead, I looked back up at the three men loading their weapons. "What are you talking about?" Francis asked, alarmed. His clothes were still drenched from the water.

I realised it wasn't Francis under the water holding me back. There was something in here with me.

"Francis." I whispered, frenziedly. "Get. Me. Out. Of. Here." I watched for any movement inside the water, frightened that it was going to take me back into the darkness. But my heart beat started up again as I felt his hands clasp around my shoulders, tugging me out of the danger.

It was then that I felt someone's hands grasp my ankles. I panicked, "Francis, something's got me!"

He thrust me out of the water with all his immense strength and I plunged against the concrete of the room, thankful to be out onto dry land. I pulled the length of my jeans up to reveal bruises along my ankles, the shape of fingers.

I heard Louis and Bill's gunshots pierce the water as Francis kneeled in front of me. "I shouldn't have dragged you in with me. I'm sorry." He kissed my forehead and brought me to my feet.

I shook my head, "It was my fault. Sorry for pushing you in." I blushed and turned away from him, trying to relocate my rifle.

"No more playing around." Bill said sternly. "We need to get a move on."

He jumped into the water, moving around for a while before he was on the other side of the tunnel. I went with Louis next, holding onto his arm to ensure I wasn't going to plunge back under.

Once we made it to the other side, we continued up past the tunnel, into a second room containing even more water. I shuddered.

There were steel railings dominating both sides of the room. Although from what I noticed, we needed a way up the left side of the railing onto the second floor. I followed Louis down the rungs of the ladder and walked along the steel railings of the floor toward a second ladder leading to a higher floor on the right.

Once up, I spotted two pipe bombs in the corner of the room and my eyes sparkled with delight. I was going to grab one until Francis and Louis grabbed one each for themselves. I grimaced, "Thanks guys."

They chuckled, "Zoey, you already have one."

Oh, right. "I was just joking." I quickly said to recover myself.

"Looks like we'll have to cross." Bill changed the subject of the conversation as he stood stiffly, taking a drag from his cigarette. "But how?"

I sighed, and crossed a steel railing along the side of the room and located a switch. Men could be so ignorant… I stared at the switch with revulsion. Here's another way for them to find and kill us.

"Maybe there's a switch along the walls. Louis, Francis check these walls." He said, pointing along his side of the railing. "Zoey." He shouted my name, "Check along that side."

I giggled. "There's a switch here, Bill." I gasped, "Maybe by pressing it, it'll activate the bridge!" I said sarcastically.

"Right." Bill grumbled. "I was just trying to see if you guys were awake."

Francis guffawed, "Well, that's better than my plan."

"What was that?" Bill asked.

"I didn't have one." Francis replied.

I waited for the men to gather themselves together before I punched the switch and jogged back over to them. A shrill ringing pierced my ears as the bridge started its descent toward our level. _Here they come,_ I thought. That was when the screeches of the infected tore through the drains, echoing like thunder as we heard their stomping footsteps beat against the steel railings.

The first wave had already found us. They shoved themselves through the drain opening that we shortly came out of ourselves. I stood by the ladder, shooting those down that tried to climb up toward us. Francis, I noticed took the left of the bridge, and Louis took the right. Bill stood behind me, glancing back and forth between the crevice in the wall and between us.

Everything seemed fine, the situation looked well under control until at least thirty infected swarmed from the wall by Bill and knocked us down. I regained myself, pushing those away that came too close and pulled and held my trigger to shoot them down. Their skin peeled off their faces as blood mixed in with the smell of the sewage. Any minute now, and I'd be coughing up the remains of my stomach too.

A piercing howl erupted within the room. I tried to locate the whereabouts of the Hunter as well as dealing with the others. His shriek screamed from behind me and I watched as he leapt off his haunches – straight for Francis.

I fought my way through the congested crowd – but I was too late. The Hunter's pounce shoved Francis off of the second story, straight into the water. His body was underneath the surface as the Hunter slashed at him. Without thinking about my actions, I leapt off the level and dived for the Hunter, shoving him off Francis.

I heard Francis break the surface of the water as he gasped a lungful of air. "Get back here, you sweat-shirt wearin' little wuss!" He launched himself from the depths of the waters and tackled the Hunter down, but that was the last thing I saw as a crowd of infected gathered around and kicked at me.

"You can never get enough, can ya?" I muttered to myself as I grabbed the pipe bomb from my belt and flicked the 'on' switch. I pushed the others away from me to give me time to release the bomb. "Fire in the hole!" I shouted into the noise of the room. For all I knew, nobody would have heard me over the commotion.

I threw it toward the opposite end of the room, the red light blinking dangerously as the monsters succumbed to the screech of the pipe bomb. The screeches grew in tumult and I crouched in the water and covered my ears from the explosion.

I heard the droplets before I saw them. Arms, legs and even heads sloshed into the water beside me. I flinched from the sight and bounded back toward the landing of the ground level. Francis met me halfway and clasped his arm around my waist.

"Thanks for that darlin'," I realised the room had quietened down, and the infected were killed. Francis led me to the ladder and hoisted me up. "Up ya go."

"We're good to go, come on!" Bill barked as he bounded over the now levelled bridge. I followed behind Louis straight into a pitch-black room, the only lighting coming from a hole in the ceiling.

"Grab some ammo. There are pills if you need them too." Bill said as he grabbed a few extra magazines.

I took a moment to squeeze as much water out of my jeans and jacket, the drench was heavily holding me back. Once finished, I glanced over at Francis as he tried to inspect the damage from the Hunter.

His chest had three long, bloody gashes caused by the Hunter. I grimaced at the sight. Stumbling over toward him I pulled out my health kit and scavenged for another bandage.

Francis's hand slapped over mine in an instant. "Save your kit. I'll use mine."

I shook my head. "It's no big deal. I want to help you out." Without giving me a second chance to resist, I dabbed ointment onto a spare cloth and patted it over his chest and in between the rips of his white shirt. He winced from the pain.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. I continued apologising every time he winced. I didn't like seeing him hurt. I finished up quickly and disposed of the cloth. He stood slowly, clutching along his chest as he grabbed at the ammunition.

I wiped the sweat that was pouring down my face as I glanced towards Bill, signalising I was ready to go. Louis, I noticed, had bandaged up his knee. Two large holes of his pants were cut along both knees. I was lucky not to have been beaten so harshly. I realised I was going to jinx it by saying that too.

"Alright. Let's go then." Bill led the way out of the room, and headed straight into another large circular drain that split down two paths. I followed Bill down one path, as Francis and Louis took the second path.

I couldn't adjust my eyesight to the darkness so I flicked the torch on from my rifle; igniting the drain to life as I blinded four infected who were standing against the drain walls. We took them down easily, and as the drain curved, we were reunited with the others in a larger rectangular room with pillars every few metres.

Ignoring a yellow ladder, we tiptoed through a tunnelled passageway into a second room. A huge hole in the ceiling had been ripped out as climbable bars hung from the floor above us.

A huge grin coated my lips. "There's a way out up there!" I started to climb the bars when Bill yanked me back down.

"We don't know what's up there, Zoey." He warned. It didn't matter to me. I just wanted to get the hell out of these damn sewers. The smell didn't bother me so much anymore… what worried me was the fact that I was getting used to it. "Francis will take the lead from here." Bill ordered.

"But he's unfit to. You saw what the Hunter did to him!" I shouted.

Francis cut in. "Hey, whoa whoa… guys I'm fine. I'm taking the lead." Ignoring as if a Hunter hadn't just sliced him, and before I had a chance to stop him he climbed up the bars and motioned for us to follow. He gave us the all clear as we ascended into the room above previous.

I smashed the butt of my rifle through the windows as it shattered into pieces. Louis sent me a look telling me to be quiet. I simply ignored him. "Fresh air!" I inhaled the goodness of fresh oxygen into my lungs and realised just how much I missed Riverside.

"No time to stop. We keep moving." Bill commanded as Francis jogged down a side alleyway of an abandoned warehouse. He turned a corner, but backtracked down to us – his face shone with excitement.

"So you know when I made that comment about a Tank last time?" He joked.

Bill huffed. "There's one around the corner, isn't there?" He slammed his rifle into the ground.

Francis' face remained impassive. "...Yeah."

"What should we do?" Louis asked, clearly worried.

"We kill it." Francis stated the obvious.

"Is there a way around?" I asked.

Francis replied. "Not unless you're an expert at climbing chain link fences."

"We kill it then." Bill concluded.

Francis grumbled. "That's what I said."

"Let's just go." I sighed, clasping onto my rifle as we stepped out into a car park occupied by three cars.

"I knew it was too quiet around here." Louis said. "The closer we got, the quieter it was – even in the sewers." He said.

"Shut your trap!" Bill barked.

Before either of us could tell _him_ to keep it down, a deep, animalistic roar pounded against the windows as a colossal figure of rock-hard muscles beat its way toward us. We all simultaneously opened fire on the mountain of stone as he charged towards us, bloodlust and anger etched onto the remains of his facial features.

We spread out amongst him, ensuring he couldn't attack us all at once. That was when I realised how much of a stupid idea that was.

The Tank eyed me down, almost as if he could smell the sweat I was emanating from my pores and the fear reverberating from my veins. He roared and charged along my left side. _Did he not see me?_ I realised he completely went off his target and was about to collide into the wall of the warehouse.

But he halted just in time. Now there was a car in between our bodies. And that was when I realised his plan.

I watched, frozen on the spot, as he emitted another bellowing roar before he punched the car as if it weighed a feather. The car hurtled and flew through the air – straight for me.

I heard the panicked yells from the others, but there was nothing I could do to save myself this time.

There was a crunch as the car smashed against the ground in front of me, before it twisted over again, where my head connected with the windscreen.

A second later, my vision was met with darkness.

* * *

The next time I woke, my head throbbed uncontrollably. It felt like my head had split in two.

My vision was blurry and nondescript as my eyelids fluttered open in what appeared to be the safe room.

I was seated next to Francis, who was snoring softly against the wall. The opposite wall was only about two metres away, just enough space to stretch my legs out.

I noticed a jumble of words and letters on the wall opposite me. But that was when I could feel myself falling back under.

I ignored it, and tried to focus on staying to by interpreting the messages on the wall.

_Stay Away…_

_Rip **AP**art…_

_sneak…_

_sitting ducks…_

_kill ANYBODY…_

_**PHYSCO**…_

_Zoey… message… sorry… E_

I tried to comprehend what I was reading in front of me, but I realised as the shadows spread over my vision, the pain began to fade.

This time, I welcomed the darkness.

* * *

**A/N: I can't believe I got this chapter up so quickly. I only started writing it a few days ago! Nevertheless, just shows how much you guys motivate me. I'm happy with this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it too. A biggie coming up next chapter, can't wait to write it and I hope it spurs positive reviews. And if not, well, meh. I want my story to be different to all the other stories out there, so a huge twist should be comforting... I hope.**

**A quick querie. I've spoken to a few of you about lemon. I know some of you hate it, and some of you love it. (Yes i know some of you love it - just admit it) I want to hear your thoughts on it, whether I should, or I shouldn't. Would it ruin the story? Or not? Or would you prefer a lime instead?**

**In all seriousness, if you think it needs it, or id you'd like it, just let me know. In the end the most 'votes'(?) wins. Or opinions, whatever.**

**Otherwise, that's all for now. Business Studies is calling my name. I hate it. I don't want to bore you any longer with my blabber, so I'd better be off.**

**Major thanks to Linkin Park110 (a shout-out to her fanfic, I suggest you read it if you love Left 4 Dead), The Shining Freak, xAme-chan, NiteNdPurity, Emmaleigh and Duke of Night for your previous reviews for chapter 14!  
Also a comforting thank you to xAme-chan, The Shining Freak, Anna-Selene-Darkness, SarahInTheSky and Linkin Park 110 for your words of encouragement, motivation and support during exams!**


	17. Dinner, Church Bells and a Bombshell

I woke to a tickling sensation above my ear.

The pain had improved from the last time I awakened, and I took that as a good sign that I was recovering. My eyelids fluttered open and suddenly the tickling stopped.

"You're awake." Bill whispered from next to me. He smiled and grabbed a hold of my hand.

It took me a moment to gather myself together, unaware of where we were and what I'd missed out on. I remembered a thumping pain on the top of my head. My free hand stiffened, but I raised it steadily to feel thick bandages wrapped around my head.

And then I remembered. "What happened to the Tank?" I panicked; remembering it storming right passed me before a car was in between us. A moment later the car was flying through the air. There was a _crack_, a blinding blow of pain and then there was darkness.

I forced myself to stand up, but Bill yanked me back down; the movement jostled my head as it pounded with pain. I winced. "We took care of it." There was a glint of pain imprinted onto his facial features, but it was gone by the time he noticed I was watching.

I placed my hand back on my lap and sighed. "How long have I been out?" My voice was deep and dry.

"Just under forty-eight hours." He replied.

I groaned. "I'm sorry." I cried.

That stumped what he was going to say next. "Why are you sorry?" He asked, bewildered.

I shook my head. "We can't catch up to them now." A single tear trickled down my cheek. "It's all my fault."

Bill clasped onto a lock of my hair and pulled me in for a hug, resting my head comfortingly along his shoulder. "Don't go all teary on me now." He kissed the roof of my hair. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"I'm fine." I whispered.

Bill tightened his grasp. "No, I really mean it, Zoey." He sighed, and I unlocked myself from him and glanced into his familiar, aged eyes. The eyes that experienced the torture and atrocities of the Second World War. The eyes that held no mercy, that fought with bravery and pride until he no longer physically could. The eyes that stared at me with full devotion, care and concern. Love.

I grabbed at Bill's hand and tightened my grasp along his calloused hands. "You don't need to worry about me, Bill." I smiled, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill.

He shook his head. "You remind me of my granddaughter." Tears fell from both eyes, travelling down the wrinkles in his cheeks before drying into the sleeves of his uniform. "I can't lose you like I lost her."

His tears only ignited the tears spilling down my cheeks. "You won't lose me. I won't ever distance myself from you." I'd never seen this side to Bill before. He always showed a tough complexion, and built a wall of courage and heroic boldness. I'd never seen the love he cast on others, even if he was the closest thing to family I had in this world, he never showed it.

But right here, right now, was full proof of the love he held within himself. And now, the reminder that I was alike his granddaughter only filled me with pride and honour. I wiped the tears that continued to spill down his face. "Smile." I told him. I quit crying like a baby and forced myself to smile despite my rampaging hormones.

"What was her name?" I asked, interested.

He smiled. "Her name was Melanie." He leant back against the wall; his eyes staring passed the roof of the safe room–reminiscing about old times. "She had these beautiful golden locks and huge blue eyes." He chuckled mindlessly to himself. "The family used to come over every Sunday for supper. I used to talk with Melanie about the old days–before the War. For a twelve year old, she was pretty demanding." He paused for a moment. "She always wanted to talk about the fashion in the 50s."

I giggled. "A typical, young girl then?"

Bill nodded. "Definitely."

The rest of the night we spent talking about other family members while Francis and Louis slept along the corridor of the safe room. After Melanie, we talked about Bill's wife, Claire and their kids. Without igniting a second river of tears I shifted the conversation toward my family. I mentioned the divorce between my parents when I was young. I talked about my life in college – the simplicities of it all before hell on Earth began.

I didn't realise I fell asleep when I woke up again with Louis next to me. I realised the sun was almost up, and everyone was still asleep – that, or Louis fell asleep on the job.

I smiled at him asleep, and then curled my legs inward, hearing several bones crack from the way I left them last night. I was about to stand up when I figured I'd probably wake Louis in the process. Nonetheless I sat still and took in everything about the safe room.

To tell you the truth, it was nothing like a room. It was long and narrow, only about three metres wide. We must be holed up in some sort of compartment. I spotted an ammo stack just behind Louis' head and three large secondary weapons. My heart sprinted at the sight of the hunting rifle. That was going to be my new best friend.

Before I even thought about standing up to take a closer look, I remembered the scrawled messages from the first time I awakened. The words, despite being so messy, were finally understandable to me. It appeared the writers had all left a message, either to report whereabouts to family, or to simply tell each other off – as it was in this case.

_Stay Away from the ones that cry_

_I saw one RIP __**AP**__art ten people_

_Listen For them and __walk around__!_

_no sneak up behind them and if they don't here you coming they are sitting ducks_

_you go ahead. Sneaking works for me_

_I'm happier now I can kill ANYBODY i like_

_**PHYSCO**_

I chuckled mindlessly to myself. People could be such idiots. I was about to stand when one last message caught my sight. The handwriting was barely illegible, and you probably needed a magnifying glass to see it at all. But once I saw my name, I realised it was for me. My heart lurched to a stop.

_Zoey, I hope this message finds y__ou. Sorry for rushing out. They don't know I'm writing, so I gotta be quick. If you see this message, keep following the roads. Meet me at the evac zone. Stay safe. – Ellis _

I felt a heavy weight lift off my shoulders as I read his note and released a breath I didn't realise I was holding. I was forgiven. He still wanted us to meet up with him. He cared enough that he _wanted_ us to see him. The thought of him caring for everyone here, or just me was a different matter – but justifiable.

By this time, sunlight was drifting through the bars of the safe room door. I realised Bill was awake – and already igniting his first cigarette for the day. My sight turned towards Francis opposite him, who was slowly coming to. I elbowed Louis awake, and his eyelids flew open – as if expecting danger.

"Shit, what's wrong?" he asked, startled.

"Nothing!" I calmed him down. "We're getting ready to go soon, I think."

He breathed a sigh of relief before he stood to help me up. Francis, realising I was awake, pushed through Louis and clamped his arms around my back.

"How are you feeling? Does your head hurt? Maybe we should sit you back down again. I know there's no beds or couches in this damn train carriage but –"

"Francis, I'm fine." I interrupted. "Let's just get going."

"No." Bill said sternly. "We're not going until your head is feeling better."

"This is ridiculous." I muttered. I unlocked Francis' arms from me and walked passed him toward the weapons. I grasped onto the hunting rifle, gliding my hand over the brown texture of the weapon. I held it as if shooting an infected, and peered into the scope. Bill's face suddenly appeared on the other side, zoomed in right into his mouth.

"We're going to stay one more night." He ordered. I didn't listen to what he was saying. I was too busy watching him through the scope, giggling to myself at how he looked.

"Zoey." He shifted the scope down and I looked up at him grumpily. "I said we're staying here one more night."

I nodded. "Okay then." I held my hunting rifle tightly, grabbed a hold of a first aid kit and a few magazines before I walked toward the opposite end of the safe room door. "So, I'll see you guys at the next safe room then?" I asked.

I didn't wait for a reply and instead unlocked the bolt holding the steel door and stepped out into the morning light. I heard a rapid shuffling behind me as three men fought their way through to my side. I laughed. "So you're all coming then?" I asked, innocently.

"Wasn't funny Zoey." Bill said.

"Stubborn." Francis muttered.

"Love you too." I winked, before leading the group on.

We appeared to be in a deserted train yard filled with several huge train carriages. I lead forward, using my scope to kill infected several metres away. This weapon is freakin' amazing.

"We should go up here." Francis said. "Maybe there are suppliers up there." Francis began to ascend a staircase in what appeared to be some lookout outpost. Bill followed behind him and once he was on the second landing, the steel railings clattered. The noise screamed into the silence of the dead train yard, and I knew we were expecting a few unwanted visitors.

"No one else come up." Bill ordered. "We can cover you from here."

That was when I heard their feet dig into the ground of the yard as a row of infected sprinted towards us. As they made their way closer, I watched sickened, as bits of their skin from their faces and their arms began to peel off from the speed they were running. It was way over a month since we've been fighting back – and I realised that food was almost depleted for them. They had no way to shower, they ate rarely – if at all, and the sickness wasn't making them feel any better.

So how and when were they going to die?

I left that question unanswered as they staggered closer, screeching with bloodlust as they reached Louis first. I backed up, and used my scope to pick off those that were behind him. I felt a swipe behind me and my heart lurched as I swiftly turned and pushed the newcomers away. I watched as behind them, several others climbed over the edge fence before they landed softly against the ground and made their way over.

I pelted several shots into the crowd, some shots killing two, or three infected in the same line. Reloading was a worry, and I knew it was going to be hard to focus on what I was doing with the new weapon. I bit my lip, I hadn't thought about that.

I pushed the others away again, which only meant that the second row came forward instead. I started running around the outpost tower, as I unlatched the ammo cart and grabbed at a new magazine. I thought the idea was good at first, until other infected ran towards me from the other end of the yard.

I yelped and turned back around, which by then I was met by the others I just escaped from… and I still hadn't reloaded. I kept running, but this time I ran north and heard the same clinking noise of the railings. Bill and Francis were back on the ground level of the yard, fighting off others that appeared on the scene.

My stamina was decreasing, and my head began to throb from the blood rushing continuously from my head back to my legs as I pumped them faster. I dodged an oncoming infected and grabbed at a magazine in my pocket and shoved it into the gun cartridge.

I backed up and fired, taking down a row that sprinted towards me. I kept walking backward, firing as many shots as I could to weaken the small horde that hungered for me. I heard the familiar click of an empty weapon and grimaced. _Shit shit shit!_

Grabbing at another magazine, I was shoved into a train carriage by the infected as the magazine fell from my sweaty fingers. The infected kicked at my shins and scratched at my arms. I tried to push them away when one of them grabbed at my weapon and threw it behind them.

"Hey!" I shouted, thunderstruck.

That wasn't going to stop me. I pulled out my dual pistols. _Why didn't you think of that earlier instead of running around the yard like an idiot?_

Shut up.

I fired bullet after bullet through their bodies, until one of them decided to throw a punch at my bandaged head. The pain almost split my head in two again as a sensation of pain spread through my body.

I didn't want them to see me weakened, so I fought on, trying to take as many of them down as I could with me.

Another clamp to the head knocked me to the floor. The pounding sensation spread through my veins, tearing through to my skull. I tried to shift myself up to my knees, but they didn't stop kicking or pounding my body. I couldn't let them kill me now. I fought for so long, never giving up until we were sure to reach salvation. Yet here I was, beaten on the floor, blood spluttering out of my mouth.

I worried for the others, and hoped they weren't taken down like I was. They should continue on, and they should fight until the very end.

Sorry? Yes I was sorry for being the weak link in the relationship. I was sorry for making stupid decisions that tore the group apart – because after all, this was all my fault. I should have listened to Bill. I should have…

Something tore me from my thoughts as an unknown figure stood several metres away – watching. I didn't know who he was, if he was infected, or not. He walked closer, the morning light radiating on his facial features. I gulped.

He was infected.

But there was no heinous look on his face. There was no blood on his black clothing. No rips or tears. Suddenly, the pain the infected inflicted on me seemed insubstantial. All I could focus on was the figure closing the distance between us. He had a human form, and there were no tumours or no bruises along his skin.

My eyes parted even more in surprise – his skin wasn't grey. It wasn't a healthy rose either – but it definitely wasn't grey or sickly. The closer he came, the more I could make out of him. His eyes lacked the white, soulless beast underneath them. Instead, they were pure black, as black as midnight. And they stared at me in sympathy.

I followed along his body and shrieked at his hands. The hands were like huge white spiders, but the claws caused a shiver to spread from my pounding head to my cold toes. He had the claws of a Witch. They were harshly jagged, and razor-sharp. I knew they would be able to cut through skin like a diamond through glass.

He stopped suddenly – only metres away. And what he did next only increased the confusion and shock that was radiating through my body. A long, slimy appendage protruded from his lips as it grabbed at an infected by me and dragged it back towards him. The appendage was a _tongue_.

So… from being a male Witch, to a Smoker? Or was he a Witch-Smoker? I shook my head vigorously, igniting more pain. _What was I saying? A Witch-Smoker? That doesn't make any sense!_

Nevertheless I continued to watch, dumbfounded, as the infected finally reached the strange infected man. His claws raked through his body like butter, and the body dropped to the floor, as the infected pulled his tongue back in.

He looked at me, and continued the same process. His tongue shot out again and caught three infected this time, as he dragged them toward their deaths. Slowly, the pain began to subside. The remaining infected lay in a gruesome pile by his feet.

I lurched myself upwards, kneeling on the ground – my eyes never leaving his.

He stepped closer.

"Zoey!" Bill, Louis and Francis shouted all at once. My head spun as I watched them sprint towards me. I turned my attention back to the infected man. Realising my company was coming; he sent me one last look before he sank onto his haunches and _leapt_ away.

His bound was silent compared to the other Hunters' but he flew through the air, all the way over the back fence.

My mouth flew open, trying to let every single piece of information sink into my head. But after what I saw today, who knew _what_ I was going to believe. Who would believe me if I said I saw a Witch-Smoker-_Hunter_?

Without paying attention to what was going on around me, I was shifted to my feet and facing the three men. "What happened to you?" someone said.

"Are you okay, Zoey? Talk to me." Another said.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come to help out. They were everywhere." The last said.

"Hmm?" I asked, coming to.

They stared at me worriedly. "Let's take her back to the safe room." Bill commanded.

Alarmed by what he said, I grabbed a hold of him. "No! I'm fine. We need to keep going."

"Fine? You have blood running out of your mouth! There are scratches and bruises all over your body! You're not fine Zoey!" It was Francis' booming voice.

"C'mon Zoey. We have to clean you up." Louis said.

After a waste of two whole hours, I was patched up, well rested, and after my constant demands to leave the safe room, we were on the other side of the train yard, jumping onto train carriages that led us over the side of the fence. The exact side where the special infected man leapt to.

Excited, yet nervous to encounter him again, I forgot about all of the pain that was previously inflicted on me only hours ago. I lead the way confidently, and with no mercy for the other pitiful infected.

After bounding from one train carriage into an empty compartment, we were met with a concrete road with shrubs, boulders and a forest of trees encompassing the outer environment. The road was long, and with an awkward silence between the group, the area around us was dead silent.

Only a few infected littered the street ahead of us, but they were easily picked off by one of us. As we followed the road, fewer infected were seen and heard, and I was expecting something big coming up.

"Do you think there's a Tank?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Louis stiffened in his position and clamped his shotgun tighter. Bill and Francis exchanged looks. "There's gotta be something out here." Bill grumbled. "Keep on high alerts, people." He moved passed me and led the way until we reached a Valley Church Coach parked in the middle of the road.

We passed it wearily, taking precautions to ensure there was nothing hiding inside it. But after we passed a van nearby, and grabbed pills from a secluded shed, we heard the sounds of a low-pitched cry.

And it was close.

Before we left the shed, a broken window allowed us to see into the outskirts of the bushland. I could see a figure – all black, moving silently among the trees and shrubs. A figure easily recognisable.

"Lights off!" Bill barked. His sudden pounding voice drew my attention away from the window. He stepped out stealthily, and motioned for us to follow as he did. We took a wide arc out of the shed, ensuring it wasn't next door.

Continuing along I spotted a pink, anorexic body on the bark a few metres ahead of the shed. And boy, thankfully we took the arc – because I was right after all. Even though we were a few metres out, walking along the back fence of the bush, she would still be able to hear us.

"Shh. She's over there." Francis spotted her a little too late. But we kept our distance anyway.

I stood still watching her – fascinated. Although quite ugly and deformed in appearance, her cry was almost hypnotising and it was pulling me in. She was probably sacred. Scared of what she'd become, and she was lonely, she looked so desolate.

I wanted to comfort her, and to hold her in my arms, telling her life was going to get better, that we'd find a cure to help her retain her emotions. But even I knew how farfetched that sounded.

Without realising how close I was to her, I heard high-pitched growls growing in tumult. I was only a few metres away, but I was definitely close to her quarters. Her head was no longer cradling back and forth, but it was facing me. Her eyes were a deep red, all emotion gone – except for rage. Her nails were unfolding in her lap, ready to tear into flesh.

My heart quickened in pace as I stepped backwards slowly, until my foot stepped on a twig – its crunch split the silence of the air, and I gulped. She raised her body from the floor, emitting higher-pitched howls of rage.

Frozen with fear, any moment now and I would be dead.

"Stay still." Bill ordered.

I flinched from fright as I heard his voice. Stay still? What good was that going to do? She was going to split any minute!

But I followed his orders. I trusted Bill. "Don't move." He said again.

I stayed in the same position, with one foot in front of the other, watching as the Witch hunched back down onto the floor. She still watched me wearily and angrily, but she contracted her nails – no, _knives_ – as she sat back down.

I continued to stay glued to the spot as I glanced back towards the group. Bill's face held disappointment, but he was glad to see I was okay. Francis' face held alarm, worry and full blown happiness to see that I wasn't in a million shreds on the floor. Louis? Well, Louis looked like he was going to puke.

Turning back to the Witch, who now continued her cries of pain, I raised my other leg back and stood still again. But she didn't move this time. I kept retracting one leg at a time, each bringing me further away from her, but closer to the men.

Once out of clear reach, I bounded into Francis' arms, familiarising myself of his smell, the way his body held mine and his grip on me. I let go unwillingly, and turned to face Bill with an apologetic smile. I expected a brutal scolding, but he kissed my forehead and moved further along the road leading us to a clearly abandoned and damaged house.

All windows along the front of the house were boarded up, leading straight into the kitchen. The front veranda displayed dragged bodies, with blood splattered along the length of the floorboards.

I flinched. "Oh, nice, a cabin in the middle of nowhere. I know how this movie ends." I muttered.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Louis groaned from the sight.

It really wasn't pretty, and I felt for the family that lived here previously. I walked into the house, unaware if the others were following behind me. The front door opened to a deserted – yet surprisingly clean – lounge room. There was an ammo stack filled with secondary weapons by the end of the room. To my right, I turned into the kitchen where appliances, chairs and tables lay scattered over the floors.

Once out of the kitchen, there was a hallway leading to two pitch black rooms – rooms that I was too frightened to go into for fear of what I'd see or encounter. Instead, I joined the men in reloading their weapons – not that we'd used much ammo, which I guessed was a good thing.

I welcomed the warmth of the fireplace by the TV and rejoiced in finally finding peace and warmth after a long day of onslaughts, attacks – and freaky surprises.

That brought on the memory of the special infected man. The one I knew I saw out in the bushland.

"Zoey." I heard Francis' soft tone. "You ready to get goin', darlin'?" he asked.

I nodded, not realising I was sitting down, and stood to grab my hunting rifle.

We backed out of the house into the backyard where a few infected scattered across the yard before us. Alerting them, they screeched and fought their way through the door, pounding to get in. But Louis shot them down easily and led us to the same concrete road we'd followed before.

An ambulance was perched in the middle of the road, doors opened, with most supplies gone. Bill grabbed at the remaining health pack after we'd used his to patch me up. I noticed the rest of the road was blocked off, and the only way across was through the cemetery leading to the local church.

There were bright lights radiating around the area, I guessed it was a sign that there was safety there.

"We should head to the church." I suggested.

Bill nodded. "Lead on, Zoey." He encouraged, smiling.

My eyes brightened and I pursued on, jogging at a pace to release equal amounts of adrenaline and excitement. The men followed along behind me, they seemed more active and alive.

As we passed the gates leading to the cemetery, I headed straight for the shed to check for supplies. I grabbed a Molotov and handed two red gas cans to Francis and Louis. Once outside, Bill and I took down the remaining infected with ease.

"Hold up!" Bill motioned.

I stopped suddenly; unaware of what was going on. "What is it?" I asked.

"Don't you hear that?" He asked.

I closed my eyes, honing my hearing senses. And Bill was right. There was something rattling in the distance – toward the church. It sounded like voices. Worried, anxious, talking-too-fast voices. It was barely legible from our far distance.

"Let's move closer." I suggested.

After clearing the entire cemetery of infected, we stood outside a broken wall of the church by piles of sandbags. The voice was much more legible now.

"Better safe than sorry, better safe than sorry." The voice whispered harshly. "Can't believe he bit me. That's… Don't get fooled twice!" The voice appeared severely frightened, with little self control.

And he was bitten.

"I trusted you." He spoke to himself. "You said you were immune." He coughed harshly.

We stepped closer, now inside the bearings of the church. He must have heard our footsteps as he shouted out. "Who's there?" There was a pause. "Is someone there?"

We all stared at each other, thunderstruck. Should we respond to him?

Bill sighed, and wiped the sweat from his face. "Son, we're immune, we're tired, and there's infected in the damn woods, now cut out the shit and let us in!"

"NO! My safe house! I have a bell in here! You stay the hell out!" he shouted.

I couldn't believe this guy. Who the hell did he think he was? Some Saint?

Bill tried again. "We're as human as they come, son, I promise ya!" he shouted louder this time.

"NO! Go away! I'm not letting anybody in!"

Francis threw a red gas can near the back of the church. "Have a heart, we got a helpless old man with us!" he chuckled.

"Hey!" Bill cried indignantly.

"I said nobody's getting in!" the Church Guy responded.

Francis tried again. "Let's see, I'm Francis, that's Grandpa Bill, and _there's zombies out here! Open the goddamn door!_" he shrieked.

"NO!" he screamed.

"What a dick!" I said. He was really starting to piss me off!

"I heard that!" he shouted.

Louis tried this time. He knew how to calm down dirty situations. "Mister, if one of us gets killed out here, I'm gonna shoot my way in there and beat you to death with my gun!"

Wow. That was the first time I'd ever seen Louis explode. "Shit, Louis." I chuckled.

"Your words mean shit to me!" He banged his hand onto the safe room door.

That's it. "Hey jerk-ass! Why don't you just open the goddamn door?"

Bill cut in. "I don't believe this shit, we're arguing for our lives here with a damn mental moron!" he directed his anger towards us.

The Church Guy didn't seem to hear. "NO! I warned you I had a bell in here! Ding Dong! Ding Dong! DINNER'S SERVED! COME AND GET IT!" he screamed hysterically and then let out a chug of coughs. Suddenly, the sound of church bells tore my ears apart as the clanging church bells sounded out into the district of Riverside.

Shit. This wasn't good.

"This guy is nuttier than candy bar shit." Bill grumbled.

"You're not gonna just open the door? Really?" I protested one last time.

"Better safe than sorry, better safe than sorry." He chimed to himself mindlessly, ignoring me.

Francis turned towards us. "If we live through this, I'm gonna frickin' KILL that guy!" he used his shotgun to belt it against the sandbags of the open wall.

At that moment, a howl shrieked through the vicinity and we knew they were coming.

"Louis, place that gas can in the next room." I ordered. I backed up toward the safe room door and perched myself on a small wooden table.

"Francis, stay by Zoey, but take care of the room Louis threw the gas can in. Zoey, take care of the back windows in case infected stumble through there. Louis, help me out up front here. If it's quiet, help the others." Bill ordered within twenty seconds. "Stay focused; let's just wait for him to open up. If not, we'll break the door down."

"Sounds good to me! Let's do this!" Francis kneeled next to me, entirely focused on annihilating the infected.

Seconds later, the windows were broken, the door to the other room broke down, and infected fought their way over the sandbags, searching and hunting for their prey. I looked into the scope of my rifle, and held it in one position – waiting for any infected to show into the range.

I had to hand it to Bill; this was pretty easy for us. With Bill's expert planning, none of us had any difficulties. But as the infected numbers started to grow, and as the pierce of a Hunter and a hacking cough of a Smoker were heard nearby, I shot through the red gas can, igniting the entire back half of the church into flames.

For a minute there, I was sure the whole church was going to go down, but the fire licked at the wood tenderly, only blackening the wood, not heating through it. The infected were caught in the trap, struggling to remove the flames flickering on their bodies.

Now for something else to do, I turned toward Bill and Louis, noticing the infected crowd had grown outside and that they'd reached the men. I witnessed an infected slash at Louis' cheek and bite on his arms. I took the free opportunity to shoot a gas can I hadn't seen before outside.

The can exploded as fire licked the feet of the infected outside, reducing them to distracted weaklings. I helped shoot them down until a Smoker landed on top of the sandbags, missing the fire by inches. He saw my shocked expression and shot his tongue out at me, wrapping it around my waist, all the way down to my legs.

"Shhhi!" I was about to swear, but his tongue wrapped around my mouth, preventing a scream. I was dragged passed Bill and Louis, and through the fire.

I screamed in outright pain as the fire burned passed my clothing, heating the skin and grilling it harshly. I squirmed in his grasp, trying to free myself of the flickering fire that boiled my skin and burnt my hair.

After seconds of burning torture, the Smoker held me in his arms, tearing at my jacket trying to sear his claws into my skin. Bill watched, shocked beyond belief and leapt into the fire after me.

_No!_ I thought. _He shouldn't be doing this! Get back, Bill!_

He fought through the bodies of fire in his path, gradually making his way over to me. He shoved the Smoker off of me and pelted his bullets into his face. By this time, the fire flickered into tiny sparks before disappearing completely.

After the fire stopped threatening to burn to the bone, I felt weakened and… sleepy. Sleep sounded good…

"Zoey!" Bill barked into my face, slapping it gently to bring me back into focus. "Stay with me! We need to get inside the safe room!" he shouted.

I pushed my head upwards, searching for his face through the blurriness. "Okay." I sighed. "I'll be right there."

He grumbled and brought me to my feet, and half-dragged me over to the safe room door where I heard progressive shouts. "Better safe than-" _growl_ "Can't believe-" _growl_ "bit me-" _growl_.

There was something peculiar about the way he was acting. Almost as if he were making gurgling noises. Was he throwing up? I shivered. I hoped not.

There was a _clash!_ and then a _clatter!_ and the now-infected man stumbled out, growling and hissing with rage. His pale eyes flickered over each of us before they landed on mine. His face suddenly went green, and his body enlarged immensely with boils and tumours spreading along the length of his arms. His tummy grew too large and tore his t-shirt to pieces. His face contorted into pain before he bellowed out bright green, slimy bile.

I ducked, missing it by inches. Until some landed on the edge of my arm.

I grimaced. "Yecch!"

Bill pushed the now-Boomer aside, as it stumbled into a piano and Francis sent a clear shot to his face. The body exploded, sending puke flying across the walls of the church.

"Zoey! Get inside the safe room!" Bill commanded. I was about to step in once I turned to see a horde clash through the cemetery's gates. They shrieked and screamed, gaining on the land and had just reached over the sandbags-

I was shoved inside the safe room by Francis who immediately locked the hatch as several screams were heard on the other side. I panicked, thinking they could come inside. Francis moved me away from the door and held me close.

"We made it." He panted.

It took me a while to realise that. It was a bitch of journey to make it all the way out here. I figured we still had a while to go before we reached salvation.

I was tired of this. I was sick, and tired of it all. I wanted to get out of here, out of this world. There was no such thing as safety anymore. But all I wanted was shelter, a family, and Francis. All of which I had, without the perfect world anymore.

I sighed, realising just how tired I was and took in my surroundings. We appeared to be in the lobby of the church, and believe me when I say the room was _tiny_. Francis seemed to catch my confusion in this being a safe 'room'.

"There's an upstairs, babe." He said, motioning for me to climb the ladder.

Oh, right.

I climbed up; meeting both Bill and Louis slumped against the floorboards, both looking sleep deprived, and Bill – burnt.

But before I could say anything, a massive scrawling on the wall caught my attention. At first, I thought it was another one of Ellis' messages. But as soon as I read the first sentence, I realised who it was. The inscribing wrote:

**Better safe than sorry. Better safe than sorry. Better safe than sorry. Better safe than sorry.**

This seemed to continue on for several lines down the wall. Either this dude was absolutely frightened out of his brains, or was mentally… not with it. I was thinking the latter.

I sat by the wall facing the scribbling and was about to look away once I caught another one of Ellis' messages scrawled in between the lines of Church Guy's psychotic ramblings. I didn't want to bring any attention to it now, partly because I was dead tired, and I didn't want the guys to know he'd been trying to communicate with me.

I looked away before anyone noticed my bizarre obsession with the wall and focused on Bill. "Bill your face is blackened from the fire." I leant by him and grabbed a cloth from inside my health pack to wipe his face clean.

"If mine is black, I'm worried about yours." He responded. I flinched and wiped a finger across my cheek. My whole index finger was coloured black.

Yecch. How can Francis bare to see me like this?

After taking half an hour to clean ourselves up, we spread out amongst the safe room 'roof' idly sitting and thinking in silence. I was just about to fall asleep.

"I think we should all get some sleep." Bill broke the silence.

"Good." Louis relaxed against the wall. "I'm out of it."

"Shouldn't someone keep watch?" Francis asked, perplexed as to Bill letting this one slide.

He shook his head. "We're up high; they shouldn't get to us up here." He sighed, "Besides, everyone deserves a decent night's sleep."

I sat by the wall in Francis' arms, taking in the atmosphere of the safe room. Francis played with my hair, stroking through the strands, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

* * *

Something woke me up. It was still dark outside, which meant only a few hours had passed. I was surprised to be woken up, because usually I was a heavy sleeper. But after hearing a 'clink clank' I staggered awake.

My heart jumped in my chest. Was someone or some_thing_ trying to get in? If so, it wasn't up here. It was coming from downstairs. I bit my lip, considering what to do. All of the other men were deep in sleep, their snores proved it.

I wasn't going to be the weak link in the relationship anymore. If I wanted to prove how brave I was, I should go down there and check out what was going on.

I breathed in, building myself with the bravery Bill bestowed within us all. I moved Francis' arm off me carefully, making sure I wasn't going to wake him up. I lurched to my feet silently and tip toed to the drop down ladder in the corner of the room. I put one foot down, waiting for any reaction to see if someone had woken up.

All was silent… up here anyway.

I climbed back down and breathed in before I could bring myself to look through the hole in the door. There was a scuffling sound outside and I peeked through the hole.

At first, everything was silent again. The church was darkened, almost pitch-black. The lights outside shined upon the cemetery instead.

A few seconds later, I heard more scuffling sounds and then a strange slurping sound. There was a figure walking through the church, from this angle I couldn't comprehend what, or _who_ it was. I waited silently for the figure to approach closer.

The figure closed the distance quickly, coming to a stop by the piano in the middle of the room, and from this angle – I could see everything.

I gasped, recognising the man's black clothing and stalking figure. He stayed still by the piano, slowly turning his head to look at me through the small end hole.

He knew I was here.

Without thinking about what the _hell_ I was doing, I unlocked the safe room door as silently as I could, and shifted the door an inch. I stopped, waiting to see his reaction, but he stood watching me intently. Almost as if he was waiting for me.

I opened the door fully, and stumbled out. I waited by the door, waiting and watching for his reaction.

_What are you doing? Get back __**inside!**_

I ignored the protests within my head and shut the safe room door behind me. The figure walked very slowly toward me, raising his Witch claws as if to say 'I'm not going to hurt you', but even I knew better.

Or did I?

He stepped closer, closing the distance quickly before he stood an inch from me. With our bodies in such close proximity, I was able to take in everything about his appearance.

He was taller than me, but shorter than Francis as I reached up to his chin. His mouth, from what I could see, was clean and devoid of blood, but they looked so soft and gentle. His large eyes, despite lack of pupils, were coloured black and shined with radiance. A hauntingly demon appearance could not destroy his incredibly handsome features. His dark brown hair was matted and dirty, and it curved around his ears.

He scrutinised my reaction of 'checking him out' and evaluated me himself. He stared deeply into my eyes, before brushing a _sharp_ nail across my lips before his finger landed on my neck – along my scar.

I flinched backward into the safe room door. No one had ever touched my scar, no one but me. His face looked alarmed; he held his hands up again – almost as if he were sorry.

He grabbed a hold of my hand, gliding his claws across the hair on my arms. I watched his facial expression – but it was peaceful. Confused as to what he was doing, I watched him lean in closer and kiss my wrist.

Alarmed, I was about to pull my hand away when he nibbled at my wrist. I yelped and flung him off me and punched him in the face. Now fearful, he stumbled back into the piano and I grasped onto my wrist, the blood seeping from the wound. I could see a fresh bite mark along the skin.

My yelp attracted the attention of a few infected in the cemetery. They growled and sprinted for me. I reacted out of instinct and reached for my holsters. My face paled.

_Fuck!_

No weapon, no pistols, no chance. Seven infected staggered closer, but the strange infected man threw himself in front of me, guarding me from the onslaught. They stood no chance to his Witch claws that sliced across their throats as if their skin and bones were made of butter.

Their bodies fell to the floor and moved no more.

The man turned around, both his blood from his nose, and my blood still coated on his mouth. I backed away from him back into the door. As he followed, I shook my head – not wanting him to follow me. Instead, he leant down and examined the dead infected on the floor. I watched as he lowered his face toward one of their necks and pierced the skin with his sharp teeth.

Blood was immediately drawn as he fed from the deceased body. I flinched from the sight and turned away to give him some… _what Zoey? Some privacy?_

I shook my head, and turned back around, only to be met with his body inches from mine, the blood no longer on his lips. His nails brushed against the palm of my hand as he raised it and sent one last 'gentleman'-like kiss.

The next second, he leapt out of view, over the rooftop of the Church. I stood silently against the Church wall, reminiscing about everything that happened here tonight. What did this mean? Who was he? _What _was he?

He was infected, yes. But he was different. Too different. I didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing. The fact that he didn't attack me was good. The intimacy and flirting was bad.

I didn't know what he wanted from me – if he did at all. But I'd never encountered anything like him at all. I walked towards the infected he fed from, his throat was torn apart as both our blood coated his exposed throat – now travelling through his system. His open, white eyes were glassy. No soul existed beyond them.

Disgusted from the sight, I leapt up and turned for the safe room door.

Behind me, I heard a familiar gurgling noise. It sickened me, and I almost didn't turn back around. But of course, curiosity got in the way.

My eyes grew wide at what I saw in front of me. In the whole process of the zombie apocalypse, I'd never thought I'd see anything like this.

The fed-on infected man was twitching like crazy on the floor - almost as if he was having a seizure. Even if he was dead, limbs twisted in positions I never knew they could. A part of me was sickened, feeling contents of my stomach rise to my throat, almost as if I was going to dry heave. But at the same time, I was _fascinated, _and my curiousity prevented me from running straight into the safe house and bolting the door shut.

I watched, my mouth hung open as his greyed and sickly skin turned to a healthy cream, the tumours healing back into his skin. Although dead, his skin gradually paled because of the lack of blood coursing through his system. His clothes remained torn and bloodied, the only evidence proving he'd been infected. His wide, white eyes were now a pale brown, igniting a human look he once shared with family and friends.

His body stopped twitching, and he remained dead on the floor. But during the process, his small, sharp claws were no longer visible. They were replaced with fingernails.

He was human.

* * *

**A/N: This is probably one of the most enjoyable chapters I've written for this story. Alas, meet the new special infected! Basically, he's got a detail or characteristic of every special infected (from Left 4 Dead 1) and he sounds like quite the gentleman, does he not? I know I haven't shown any trait from a Tank or a Boomer, but don't think we've seen the last of him.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this and I hope all is positive. I know at times when things are different, people don't necessarily respond positively toward it, but I'm hoping this was exciting at the very least.**

**An immense thankyou to the reviewers of the previous chapters: Linkin Park110, The Shining Freak, Patrick the PROTOTYPE, Anna-Selene-Darkness, SarahInTheSky and Demon-Kagetsuki ! A heap of you guys have been with me right from the beginning, so thank you for your words of encouragement and support for this story.**

**I won't be uploading anything more until my exams are over which is just one more week. I was excited for this chapter and I literally couldn't stop writing (thus explaining the long chapter). **

**Nonetheless, read it, enjoy it and see you at the next update. :)**


	18. The Streets

"So what does this mean?" Louis asked.

"Restoration of the human population, perhaps." Bill concluded.

"What's left of them anyway." Francis stated.

"No, but don't you see!" I cut in, "We can return everyone back to health! Even the dead!" I retorted.

Bill grimaced. "That's against humanity, Zoey. The ones that are dead, stay dead."

Francis sighed. "I think we're looking too far into this. How is this even going to be possible?" He asked.

He had a point.

Ever since my encounter with the special infected, my shock levels still hadn't returned back to a steady state. My eyes were glued to the bizarre scene in front of me – trying to take in the evidence of an infected man transforming back into a human.

Was it sincerely possible? Could an infected really return to a healthy, human form? Was there the slightest possibility of curing the zombie apocalypse?

So many questions. But there no answers.

The remainder of the night replayed in my mind, unable to be forgotten. I backed up into the remains of the wall behind me, my fingers trying to dig into the cement. What occurred beyond me was unimaginable. But I couldn't bring myself to stop looking at him. Sure, he was still filthy and smelly – as well as dead – but he also looked… innocent.

Despite being dead, there was no expression of violence or rage. He appeared peaceful and gallant, away from the Hell on earth. Away from the pain and suffering he endured. Away from sickness and disease.

I released a ragged breath and felt my muscles protesting within my body – screaming at me to relax and to go back to sleep. My mind thought otherwise.

Unbuckling my muscles, I slid toward the floor – still watching the human. Without intuition, I bit my fingernails – something I had a habit of in anxious situations.

What was there to do now? Should I ignore everything I've seen in front of me and return to the safe house? Or should I take matters into my own hands and do something about it?

So many unanswered questions…

A spot of red caught my eye as I bit into another fingernail. I rotated my wrist until the bite of the special infected gleamed against the bright light. Dark red splotches of dried blood coated my wrist as well as eight piercing bite marks embedded into the fold of my skin.

I grimaced. How was I going to keep this from everyone? I had no choice but to tell them everything that happened tonight. One way or another, they might just be able to help.

But as I sat here in the dusty rooftop of the church attic, I came to the conclusion that we really were going no where. We had no initiation to commence with the restoration of our world. We had no ideas, no supplies to carry through with our ideas, and best of yet – no evidence. I lost the whereabouts of the special infected after he leapt away that night. I had no idea whether he bounded out of the district of Riverside or if I'd ever see him again.

"Ow!" I pounded.

Francis flinched. "Sorry darlin'." He yanked too hard on the cloth he held against my wrist. The wound – although dry – still had to be disinfected. Who knew what diseases that baby could conjure up within me?

"Look," Bill sighed. "Best not to get too far ahead of ourselves. One, we don't know what this infected wants. Two, we don't know how _safe_ he is, and three, who's to say he's not like every other infected out there? We cannot automatically assume this is going to cure the disease with one lousy coincidence." He huffed, satisfied with his say and leant back against the wall.

I frowned. "I agree only to a certain extent. No, I don't even know what he wants, but I know for a fact he's not dangerous. He's not like the others out there."

Francis tightened his grip on my wrist and I jerked again. "Oh, really?"

"Yes really." I snapped as I shoved my hand away from his. "If he were dangerous I would have been killed _three_ times by now!" I counted, recalling the train yard incident, his own presence with me and when the seven infected swarmed to kill me. I could have been killed at any one of those moments.

But he saved me in the train yard, and again, he saved me against the other infected. But the bite? I had no answer for that. Every time he fled, was he possibly saving me from himself?

"You're from a biased perspective. Of course you'd side with him." Louis stated nonchalantly.

"What now?" Francis asked, confused with Louis' technicality.

Bill ignored Francis and glanced over at me. "What are you trying to say Zoey?"

I hesitated. What was I trying to say? Was I really defending some strange infected over my family? Over Francis? "I don't know. All I know is that he's safe around humans. He doesn't seem to _need_ to feed on us. Only for… treats."

Bill stammered, "What? Are you saying he's some sort of _pet _of yours?" He pronounced pet as if it were dirty.

"What should we name him?" Louis joked.

"How about Scruffy?" Francis sneered. "You know what, I think I prefer Fido."

"It's not like that! You guys don't understand!" I fought back.

"Then what, Zoey?" Bill asked.

"We need him." I was shaking by now. How could they not see this from my perspective? "We need him to restore humanity." Bill cut in, but I didn't allow him to break my word on the situation. "I know we're pulling a long bow here. Too long. Extremely long. But if all else fails and we're the ones – the only ones probably left alive by this point – then I say we do something about it before our time to die comes. We can't just give up now and let the infected win."

Louis and Francis simply stared at me. Bill thought for a moment, gliding his fingers over his beard. "What's your proposition, then?"

"We gather information. We head to the evac zone and speak to specialists, medical researchers, even the damn Chief of Staff if we have to. They can give us the answers. They'll be able to help us."

"They're just about as overrun as the military are. I won't guarantee you anything, Zoey. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't help us." Bill sighed, eyeing me speculatively. "But… you've made your point fairly. And… I guess we have nothing else to lose."

I released my breath and shot up from the floor to give Bill a rib-crushing hug. He flinched, both from my grasp and from the awkwardness of being held in front of Francis. "Thank you." I whispered into his ear.

He pulled back first and gave me a sharp look. "If all fails and if the scientists cannot do anything about our situation, or if the military won't help transport the…" he paused. "…man over to the evac zone, promise me you'll let this go." He pleaded.

I hesitated a second moment. Bill noticed my hesitation and played on it, hoping to crush further protests of curing the world. If I lied, would I stick to my word? Or would I only make other selfish demands to have my way?

I've always been the type to help people. Okay, I guess there's a little bullshit in that, but I _did_ take care of my sick grandmother at one point in her life. However, my point centred along the infected man. Why was I so dedicated to helping cure him? Or the rest of the damned world for that matter? After we reach the evac zone, everything would presumably return back to normal. Sure, our lives won't exactly be the same, but we'd be _living_.

Did I really want to play the hero and save the world? Had I watched too many re-runs of Batman as a kid? Did playing video games containing graphic violence of blood and guts centred on the concept of destroying evil, soulless beings to save oneself really turn my brain to mush?

Or was I generally a nice, decent person?

Yeah… I'd have to agree with my first three points too.

By this point, Bill was still waiting for my answer – even when he already knew what I was going to say. But I thought I'd shun him one last time. "I'm not good at keeping my promises, Bill. I don't want to have to break them after I make them – especially the ones that I know I won't be able to keep." Now it was my time to pause. "Like this one."

I waited for Bill to pound me for my disrespectful behaviour and to scold me for my inconsiderate actions. But he simply said, "You're a good kid."

I'll say this for him – Bill had a hell of a lot more self control than I did. Had our roles been reversed, I would have walked over and smacked me by now.

"So that's it? That's our plan?" I asked one final time.

He huffed. "That's the one."

It was my turn to relax against the wall, satisfied. Bill on the other hand stood and grasped at a health pack and reloaded his assault rifle. "Don't get comfortable. We're leaving shortly."

"We can't catch a break can we, old man." Francis grumbled from next to me.

"Don't complain." Louis argued. "We slept all night."

"More like _you_ slept all night." I muttered under my breath. Nonetheless I got to my feet and stumbled over to a small wooden table by the back corner. I grabbed at a spare health pack and secured it around my back. I was about to grab my hunting rifle when I decided otherwise. I hadn't used a shotgun for a while… and it looked _deadly_.

"I call shotgun!" I grasped at the beautiful weapon, watching as the silver gleamed in the lighting of the church. This was gonna be good.

Bill unlocked the bolt from the safe room door and stepped out onto a small balcony that faced the town of Riverside. I stepped out after him, my face grim and my stomach tied in knots as I recognised the town I grew up in. The friendly neighbourhood, the convenience store, the theatre…

That was when I noticed the infected littering the streets. Groaning and moaning. Some even fighting each other. My earlier anger returned as I watched them, they were the reason why Riverside was a bust. They were the reason why my hometown was destroyed into dilapidated ruins.

"Hold up one second." I placed my auto shotgun against the front wall of the church and climbed back inside to grasp onto a hunting rifle. Once I stumbled back out, I looked into the scope and shot every infected in sight.

I felt an arm on my shoulder, but it was removed by the time I actually acknowledged it. I wouldn't let anyone stop me from doing this. I needed the infected to suffer for everything they did against us.

Once the cartridge was empty, I'd only replace it with another and fire several more shots through several other heads.

"Zoey." Bill spoke softly.

I hadn't realised that the guys were anxiously waiting for me. His voice shifted me away from my thoughts as my anger diffused. I let go of the rifle and heard as it clattered to the wooden flooring. I let out a breath and grabbed my shotgun once more.

"Just warning you – there's a Hunter around." Bill said.

I hadn't even heard the telltale signs of the Hunter's growl, so I steadied myself and prepared for the coming onslaught.

Francis placed his arm back onto my shoulder. "Let's go." He bounded off of the balcony as his feet boomed onto the grass. I followed suit and covered Bill as he climbed down a drop ladder.

We exited the gates of the Church and made our way across the street leading to the Quik Buy necessity store. The street was empty, but I could already hear the animalistic growls of a few infected inside the convenience store. Four rushed at me, baring their yellowed teeth and flailing limbs, but they were easily taken down by a few shots of the shotgun.

I entered a room to the right and immediately backed up after finding an infected woman sprawled out by the wall, a trail of her blood led to her from the door. It was easily hypothesised that she dragged herself, barely hanging onto her final moments of humanity, facing what would appear to be –"

"Ouch!" I felt sharp claws pierce through the fabric of my jacket. Spinning around I came face to face with a young man. His face was spotted with blood, pale grey eyes gleaming in the light of the room. And then, one of them fell out of its socket.

"Oh my God!" I shoved him back and leapt for the counter to my left. Bringing up my shotgun, I pulled the trigger and pounded ten shells through his body with a single shot.

I bounded off and joined the men around the corner of the store, helping them take down the infected sprawled across the street.

"Pipe bomb here!" Louis broke the silence as he grabbed at the explosive from the bonnet of a huge Tank further down the street. We moved on, passing a street of boarded up houses before shambling through Poppy Field Florist's car park.

I shoved a Hunter that managed to pin Francis as he took the back guard and covered him as he collected himself together. At one point, I thought I saw a dark figure strolling by a house in the corner, but by the time I took a double-take, the figure was gone.

Was the special infected that intuitive that it was able to follow us? Did the infected realise there was something peculiar and something extraordinarily different about him? And then another thought formulated inside my mind… did the infected _want_ something from us?

I couldn't be sure if the figure was him or not. The only aspect that was initially recognisable to me was that his stalking figure was dark – just like his black clothing, and in a weird way, I felt a sense of connection to him in ways that meant so little to me.

The only question I could bring myself to ask was why I cared so much about him. My care for him almost balanced Francis'. I wanted to help him. I wanted to cure him. But why the fuss? Why risk my life as well as my family's if in the end, we couldn't do anything to help him in the first place?

Was this strange connection I felt to him linked to a relationship I shared with someone special before the apocalypse? I filed through my real family, trying to complete the puzzle as to who he resembled. But for the first time, I realised I hadn't been very close to any family members. My parents were loving and caring, but their role only limited to being actual parents. They weren't therapists, counsellors or even friends. So what else was this supposed to mean?

The confusion was bound to make my head explode.

"Zoey." I was nudged by Bill, and suddenly everything around me came into focus. I hadn't even noticed that we'd moved on from the car park. Or that I had new blood stains on my jacket. I was sure to bring the team down with my incoherency.

"Sorry." I mumbled, catching on to our whereabouts. I punched my way through elongated glass windows leading from the car park through to another in a quieter street.

A much quieter street.

"There's something here." I whispered. I wasn't sure _what_ it was, whether it was a Tank, a Witch or even a Hunter. But the air around us felt cold. Cold, still and silent.

"Eyes and ears people. Eyes and ears." Bill said as he followed through he same window I punched. He and Francis moved around the second car park silently, both anxiously anticipating the unexpected.

And then, it came.

He pounded down the street, each leg booming into the ground, creating a wave of vibrations that sent the road shattering under his impact. His growl – although deep – was loud enough to shatter glass.

And that's when he came into view.

We opened fire onto his immense frame, his stone muscles flailing ravenously as he shoved a truck with relative ease. It tumbled over – missing Francis as he dived out of the way in time. I caught my breath realising how soon I could have lost him.

But this wasn't the time for my suicidal emotions, so I put them aside and dealt with the monster in front of us.

I belted an entire cartridge of ten shells into the Tank, backing up after every shot I took. Louis posted himself back inside the building, firing one magazine at a time using his assault rifle. I'd give him this – he was smarter than the rest of us, because eventually, the Tank had us backed up against the opposite building.

If we didn't kill him soon, we'd be the ones dead.

The Tank's roar cut into my hearing as he threw his muscular arms into the air, venting his frustration and rage. He tore off again – right after Bill. I followed along behind him, firing at a closer range to deal extensive damage.

He raised his arm and punched Bill as if he weighed nothing more than a ragdoll. Bill went flying… and when I mean flying, I mean _flying. _He landed with a _thud_. I heard a distinctive crack, and then Bill's moans followed.

I knew in that moment that the Tank would finish him off. He'd have his hunger satisfied instead of wasting time chasing us around like a herd of goats.

Instead, the Tank pivoted on one foot and turned to face me directly. I watched as his arm flew up a second time and then I felt the force of his muscles as they sent _me_ flying metres into the air. There was a sudden rush of coldness before I hit the pavement along the side of my body.

I was breathless, and so very, very tired. There was nothing else I wanted more in the world than to just lay here and let death take me. Because surely, no humans should suffer as we have. No human should have to go through everything we've endured. It wasn't right. It wasn't humane.

But I knew that I'd be letting the others down if I let my tiredness get in the way of our lives at stake. So, I shifted myself up, crying from the pain I felt burn through my body. The Tank was after Francis now and at any moment, Francis would be the next one to be thrown.

I limped over to where Francis fought the Tank and I shot as many bullets as I could load into my shotgun.

There had to be something for us to use against him. Even if Bill or Louis had a molotov, we'd never be able to receive it from them. They were on the other side of the street. I momentarily left Francis – regretfully – and cast my eyes around the car park for anything useful. Glass shards, tyres, a propane tank, more tyres…

Wait. Propane tank.

Immediately I limped off toward the open truck and grabbed a hold of the large, white tank. It was heavy, but definitely useful in a time like this.

Making my way over to the Tank ever so slowly, I realised just how much I valued my life at this point – no matter what I'd been through – I knew I'd always have Francis.

The Tank moved no closer, leaving almost five metres distance from Francis. For a moment I thought it was over and that the Tank was dying. But instead he knelt down and that's when I felt the rumbling vibrations along the Earth's surface.

The Tank was manipulating the core structure of the Earth to pick up a slab of… cement. Cement that – in any second now – would be thrown to crush Francis, cutting him off from life and tearing him away from me.

I ignored the stabbing protests within my body and sprinted toward the Tank. Although the Tank was busy hurling the cement high into the air, I knew he could sense – and even smell – me coming. I hurled the propane tank at him and watched as it landed by his unusually small feet.

I shifted onto one knee and concentrated on the white tank that would end him. "_Die, you son of a bitch!_" Although a long range, the shotgun sufficed, and seconds later the tank exploded, sending me flying backwards as my head hit the ground.

I shot back up and watched – heart pounding like a drum – as the Tank gave a final sigh of defeat and rumbled to the ground.

No matter how much pain I felt coursing through my body; I clambered to my feet and sprinted over to Francis. He caught me – despite the fact I didn't realise I jumped – and gripped my body against his, threatening that if anyone tore me away from him – he'd be the one to end that life – no matter the consequences.

I didn't even realise I was crying. Was my injury affecting my mental health? Or was I just so aware of how much Francis meant to me if I lost him, that I paid no attention to my actions?

He put me down, realising that his grip was definitely affecting the pain I felt from being thrown. Thrown? _Bill!_

"Bill." It was the only word that was spoken between us in that moment. Francis literally picked me up and ran over to where Bill sat against a building wall. Louis leant down next to him, finished with patching him up.

"Hey, old man. How ya feelin'?" Francis teased, trying to enlighten the situation.

"H-Hell, I've had worse. I'll be fine." He grunted and tried to shift himself up. I watched as he did, and worried about his limp. Bill had been through so much with us, and yet, there was a whole other life he'd lived through the War. It made me realise how strong Bill really was – no matter how much blood really was on his uniform.

Bill noticed my reaction. "Most'a this blood ain't mine." I'd be willing to bet on that. The strong soldier he was, he also had a tough time lying.

"Will you be alright to walk?" I asked. I wasn't sure how much longer we had to go until we reached the next safe house, but carrying Bill was sure to cause us time and further injuries.

"Don't worry about me." He reached into his pocket and produced a small container of pain pills, swallowing them all down. He got to his feet and grabbed at his rifle. "Let's get going."

And so, we did.

Eventually we passed a second street of residential houses and walked through a _third_ car park. There were little infected, and my guess was that the Tank scared them away. That, or things were going to get a hell of a lot worse the further we travelled.

Louis' voice droned out my thoughts. "There's a safe house symbol by that van." I followed the point of his finger and spotted a white van leading to an upstairs work office.

"Onto the van!" Bill ordered. We clambered up, Francis stopping to help Bill, and soon we entered the office. Although thoroughly disheveled, it was easy to navigate through the work desks – whilst killing off the infected within the rooms.

"Is this where you worked, Louis?" Francis guffawed. "'Cause it doesn't seem very clean or tidy, does it? That's not like you."

Louis sighed. "Drop it Francis. No one finds you funny." I giggled at that.

"Yeah, well, Zoey does. She's laughin' ain't she?" he said.

"She laughs at everything!" he retorted.

"Hey!" I stammered. "I do not."

"Yeah you do." Louis stated.

"Well at least I have a sense of humour." I said dryly.

"Cut it out." Bill ordered. Our protests hummed under his influence. Sometimes I wished I could silence a room like Bill could. "We're going outta the windows." He nudged his way through and fell below. We followed simultaneously and fell onto a white panel overlooking the main street of Riverside.

"I've always liked this main street." I reminisced the times I spent here, visiting the theatre or the A & C Bookstore. So many good times, but now, I felt no warmth for this place. Despite the chilly atmosphere, this street didn't feel very welcoming than it used to be.

"If you ignore the crazy guy and the zombies, nice town." Louis said, as he took in the beauty – or what was left of it – of Riverside.

"The town's pretty quiet… I hope that means they killed all the zombies…" I teased.

"Let's not keep our hopes up, shall we?" Bill said as he slightly limped over to the carts holding ammo, weapons and some pills.

I grabbed at several more cartridges and took in the street to a greater extent. The road had been blocked, destroyed to the point where there was no way to cross. My guess was that the military used engineers to tear up the road halfway along its length to form a defensible berm backed up by a Minigun.

My eyes shone at the minigun… damn, I wanted to use that baby!

"So what's the plan?" Francis said. My hope faltered slightly. I realised Bill probably wouldn't let me use the minigun.

"Francis, take the minigun." _Damn it._ "Zoey, back him up on his left. Louis, take the right. And I'll watch from behind."

I followed his instructions unwillingly, but stood by the theatre doors, clutching at my loaded auto shotgun.

"I'll activate the forklift. Everybody get into place." Bill ordered. He activated the machine, and several beeps emitted into the silence of the street. The beeps suddenly stopped and a piercing alarm screamed into the air.

The alarm blared on, but the screeches of the infected made the alarm seem non-existent. We all braced ourselves, and Francis started firing up the minigun. Within seconds, they climbed over the wreckage of the road, but Francis was faster and was able to eliminate those that stumbled over. Those that he missed were easily taken down by both Louis and I.

I watched as Francis fired with the minigun, not letting go of the trigger as hundreds fell at his feet. He was indestructible and invincible against the infected. It was then, while I was watching him that something grabbed at my leg and as I went to kick it away, it swirled up my thigh and twisted around my torso.

Shock and surprise pounded through my body as a Smoker pulled me towards him.

"No, no, no, NO, NO!" He was pulling me closer, and the infected ran for me as easy prey. But just as I was being dragged, I was suddenly let go. I heard the sigh of the Smoker as his body exploded with a puff of green, gassy smoke. I realised Francis pelted the shells from the minigun straight into the Smoker.

I stood quickly, and nudged those away that tried to slash at my skin. I slowly made my way back toward the theatre and noticed Francis helping the infected that ran for Louis during my rescue. Once back in my spot, I was only put down again as a heavy figure pounded me straight into the ground.

My breath left my body as the infected raked his claws through my jacket. I tried shoving him off me, but his claws raked through my white tank top.

"KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" I shouted as loudly as I could muster, trying to get their attention. At this point the common infected crowded around us, punching and kicking at me. The Hunter growled hungrily and sliced for a third time. His claws severed through the skin of my torso, and I could feel the numbing pain of his claws against my skin.

The world spun, and my blood flowed quickly but I didn't allow myself to be pulled under. I tried again. "SHOOT IT! SHOOT IT!" I didn't think my shout was as loud as my first, but moments later, the crowd diffused and I could see a green uniform push his way through to me.

"GET IT OFF OF ME!" The Hunter growled at Bill and slashed at his leg. Bill showed no mercy and belted his shotgun through the Hunter's head. He gave a struggled yelp and fell silent against the pavement. By this time, my vision blurred, but I saw Bill coming closer and grabbing at me to stand.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds and opened them to see Francis. He shifted me to my feet, but I staggered almost immediately – the dizziness causing my incoherency.

"Up you get, Zoey. C'mon now." Francis said softly. "We gotta get goin'." He placed my arm around his neck as he helped carry me over the pavement by the forklift. He kept going, and after every step he took I felt my skin open further. I grew fainter after several seconds.

"My stomach." I coughed. "Wrap it, please." I begged.

"Put her down." Bill said. He pulled out his medical kit and I sighed with relief once he took out the bandages. All three crowded around me, helping wrap the bandages and trying to stop my blood flow, that they didn't notice a Boomer waddle close by us.

"B-Boom-"

"What is it, Zoey?" Louis asked, confused.

"Boomer." I said softly.

Francis spun around swiftly and upon seeing the Boomer, he shot it straight through the stomach. Louis shouted, protesting the proximity of the infected. But it was too late. The Boomer exploded, sending bile splattering over Francis and Louis.

In any situation, I would have laughed. But once I heard thundering footsteps from the infected, my heart almost came to a stop. They clawed at both men; some even taking bites to savour the taste of the Boomer's bile. I felt sick enough to produce my own bile…

"Pipe bomb." I said to Bill. He patted his body, but had none.

"I don't have one, Zoey." He said. "Stay here and I'll quickly help them out."

"No, Bill. Louis-Louis has one."

Bill looked towards Louis and limped over, clutching at the explosive that was attached to his holster. He activated the switch, and threw the bomb as far as he possibly could. Several of the infected ran for the explosive, attracted to the beeping and to the flashing red light.

"Yecch. This stuff stinks!" Francis complained.

"Be happy that they're over there and not here." Louis said.

I took the time to gather myself together before I used the wall for support to bring me to my feet. The pain in my stomach rocked through my body, so I took some pills to numb the throbbing pain. We'd have to be near a safe house by now, and until then, we kept going strong.

"Let's go." I said. "We have to keep moving."

Bill looked as if he disagreed, but did nothing to stop me. Louis led the way passed a coach and into a narrow alleyway leading to the backstreets of Riverside. Francis took far guard to keep Bill and I in the middle of the throng.

The infected here were dwindling, but those that came too close were killed mercilessly. Louis continued on, passing a Laundromat and heading deeper into the back-buildings. A chain link fence separated us from the now-seen safe house. I felt stronger, knowing that we were going to make it.

"Up the stairs." Louis said, "Sorry Bill." Bill and I supported each other up each step, him with his limp and me with my wounded torso. The stairs led us into a deserted room with blood along the floors. I grimaced from the sight.

"We're climbing outta the window, and over wooden planks. I'll take Bill. Francis, you should take Zoey." Louis said, taking charge of the situation.

Louis led Bill over first, ensuring his safety as they made their way over to the other side. They climbed through another broken window into the safety of the building. Francis grasped my hip and half carried me over the planks and through the window. He kissed my forehead as Louis led on.

I hated to be a nuisance for them, especially when two of us needed so much help. We all had to be strong enough to take care of ourselves. But then I realised, we were all here for each other. We'd never abandon one another – no matter the situation.

I smiled for the first time that night, feeling an ultimate high – knowing we were close to safety.

"We're dropping down here. It's a bit of a fall." Louis warned.

"I'll go down first," said Francis. "I'll help Zoey down and then Bill. Just take the rear and watch for any infected." I swear, it was probably one of the first times Francis valued Louis' protection. Louis seemed to notice this, and respectfully obeyed orders.

Francis dropped down first, landing with a soft thud – despite his weight. He motioned for me next, so I sat along the edge of the roof and let my legs dangle down toward Francis. I pushed myself off and fell against Francis' arms.

"I gotcha. Stay here." He warned. Even I wasn't stupid enough to wander around at this point. But I noticed the alley led straight into the light of the safe room.

I turned back and watched as Bill followed the same actions, except Francis merely helped him down instead of catching him in his arms. I would have laughed at that sight, though. Louis joined us at last and we all turned to the direction of the safe room.

But there was a figure blocking the way. And it was dressed in black.

* * *

**A/N: I knooow its been ages since I last updated, and for that I'm sorry. But I'm glad to finally see a new chapter up, and I hope you guys are still willing to read this.**

**We're nearing the end - kinda... I guess in a few chapters... actually maybe not. You know what, I don't exactly know how long it'll take to reach the end, but we'll just go with it for now. Hope you guys have enjoyed the story so far.**

**An immense thankyou to those that take the time to review and alert and favourite - you guys mean the world to me, to see that people actually read, and ask about my story gives me inspiration and motivation to finish this series as a successful piece. Huge thanks to Anna-Selene-Darkness, NiteNdPurity, The Shining Freak, The Zipper Ripper, Linkin Park 110, SarahInTheSky, Duke of Night, Emmaleigh, and MonsterMuncherx for your reviews! Thank you so much!**


	19. Redemption

The figure startled me beyond comprehension, and it took a few solid seconds for me to grasp the familiarity of the man in front of us. Perhaps it was my dwindling lack of awareness that caused my incoherency, but all in all – it had been a long night.

I froze in my tracks as I recognised the man dressed in pure black. His clothes held no tears, nor blood. The first question to form in my mind was how did he remain so clean?

But there was no time for meaningless questions. It was time we gathered valuable and needed information from this special infected. Because for one thing, none of us knew what the hell was going on.

The man appeared calm in his posture and simply fixed us with a kind glance. Or perhaps it was only me his glance was fixed at. As he turned to observe the men around me, I caught glimpses of distrust – even suspicion – and absolute wariness that flashed across his radiant, black eyes. He held his Witch claws down by his sides, swaying them slightly – ensuring that if anything went wrong, well, you'd be dead by the time you tried protesting.

I felt a shiver of apprehension crawl down my spine as his knives gleamed in the light of the safe room. As much as I wanted to help him, I couldn't undeniably trust him. He'd bitten me before, who knew what he had planned next.

But as soon as I let myself wander about that – the thought was easily dismissed. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me; I knew that for a fact. He'd already had his fair share of chances. I removed my sight from his claws and instead gazed into his unfathomable dark eyes. They seemed to stare back at me longingly. A hint of guilt replaced the desire as he stared at my bandaged wrist. He flinched with the tiniest movements that only an infected could have noticed. But I was able to detect it – I knew him well.

My mind slipped back into reality as I realised a heavy awkward silence filled the air. From the corner of my eye I glanced at the men behind me – their breathing slow and unsteady as they gazed at the man uneasily. They were frozen – utterly transfixed at the figure blocking the entrance into the safe room.

It was then that Francis stepped closer than necessary – the sound of his thundering boots shattering the silence – and held his shotgun in front of him protectively. I realised the shotgun was aimed for the man – Francis was merely loading the bullets.

"No!" I shot out, removing the weapon from Francis' hands. "What do you think you're doing?" I asked, bewildered.

"He's infected, Zoey! What were _you_ thinking?" He bellowed out into the alley.

"You promised me we'd keep him safe! We can't hurt him!" I retorted.

Francis cast me a stern look, but it was Bill who answered. "We promised, Francis." He sighed.

"You promised old man. I didn't!" He went to grab the shotgun from me but I moved out of his grip.

"How can you be so inconsiderate about this?" I pointed to the man, frustrated. "Clearly, this infected…" I faltered there. "… Clearly, this _man_ needs our help!"

"Zoey, he can't even _understand_ what we're saying. He's playing tricks on you. The only thing gnawing at his mind is his growing desire to eat your flesh! He wants nothing more to do with you!" His words stung. I couldn't believe Francis could be so insensitive towards the man – towards me.

I felt a build-up of tears that threatened to spill, but hastily wiped them away. "Don't you care about me?" I asked with a small voice.

His gaze flickered to guilt, and then pain. "Don't play that card with me, Zoey." He glanced away from my sight and stared at the ground.

I wasn't going to admit he hurt me. I wasn't selfish like that. _You are sometimes,_ a voice cut into my thoughts. Yeah, I guess I was, but I didn't mean to be. I loved Francis, but seeing him side against me – against my wants and wishes, did hurt.

Too busy fighting with Francis; I didn't notice the man saunter closer to us. His movement was graceful as he stopped in front of me.

Francis immediately flinched and pulled me back toward him, unsure of what he wanted. Both Bill and Louis – although silent through our argument – were also on the alert, waiting and regarding the man curiously.

"Francis, don't." I cut into the silence. "You have to trust me." His grip tightened on me and I sighed. This was definitely going to be a long night. "Francis." I tried once more.

"No." It was simple and straight-forward. The tone in his voice implied otherwise. He glared at the man before us. Except the man regarded Francis sceptically, realising that he cared for me. The man narrowed his eyes at Francis, and I thought I saw one of his claws flinch.

I ripped myself away from Francis' grip and marched to the safe room door, motioning for the others to follow inside. The man was startled for a moment, but backed up into the wall – curious as to see who would follow my orders.

Louis was easy to break. I watched him, pleadingly. "Please, go inside Louis. I need to talk with him." He, being the infected man who was now watching me, clearly showed admiration on his face. "Please." I begged, imitating a look I once saw on TV as a kid. If this didn't work I'd have to start fluttering my eyelashes at some point.

Louis released a breath and walked toward me, far away from the infected man before he was inside the safe room. I had no idea whether he motioned for Bill next, but Bill followed along afterwards, patting my shoulder sympathetically.

My resolve faltered as I glanced back at Francis, who glared at the infected man with malice. It was going to be difficult to convince him to get inside. "Francis." I huffed. "Please get inside."

"No." He didn't look at me. He simply watched the infected man. They glared at one another, both distrusting the other. "I'm not going to leave you outside with him."

It was the best I was going to get. "Fine." I snapped. "Stay then." Without realising, I grabbed the infected man and led him around the corner to the left of the safe room. Clearly, I had forgotten about his huge spider-like hands, and his claws – shaped as butcher's knives. But he did nothing to stop me, nor did he flinch from my touch.

I turned the man so that he was facing the wall, and that I was able to view Francis from our position. For the time being, I ignored his growing glare. For the first time that night, I examined the infected up close. He remained the same as always, a slight smile to his facial expression with light grey toned skin. However, the distraction that definitely caught my eye was the slash across his cheek. "What happened?" I went to touch his face, but he slapped my hand away lightly.

He shook his head and instead motioned at my bloodied stomach – the bandages needing to be replaced as my blood seeped through my red jacket. He reached forward, opening my jacket further to peek at the sight of my blood. I relaxed, realising that he wasn't going to lift my white tank top. Not that I was going to let him do that.

Or was I?

I shook my head vigorously. _Stupid, selfish thoughts, Zoey. You should be ashamed._

Except I wasn't.

It was at that moment when I heard a low, crackly voice break the silence. For a moment I thought it was Francis, and that he'd thrown an insult toward the infected. But as I glanced behind the man, Francis continued to watch us suspiciously. Did he seriously not trust me?

The voice may have been imaginary, and heck, I was losing blood every second. That could definitely explain my illogical imagination.

Except I heard the same voice again. And it was coming from the infected man.

"What did you just say?" I hissed at him, trying to keep Francis at bay – nor to bring further suspicions into this.

The man flinched for a moment before he glided a sharp nail against the remains of the shirt near my stomach. His voice was dry and raspy and it seemed it was a difficult task for him to undertake, but nonetheless, I heard the word clearly. "Blood."

I froze in my stance as I held his sight, thinking the impossible had just been made… possible. He could talk. He was infected… but he could talk. I frowned, and turned my glance away – my mind rushing by a million thoughts a second. Although he _could_ talk, it wasn't fluent. It had only been one word. But that one word was still a surprise to me. Never before in my life had I heard one of _them_ speak.

Sure, we'd only been fighting the apocalypse for an early number of months, but to actually witness something as extraordinary as _this_ was incomprehensible. Who knew it was possible? Was this man standing in front of me – who now matched his own concerned look that mirrored mine – different from every other infected out there?

Well, sure he was. He was living proof of it. I was living proof to prove it! But I'd never, not in any of these months, ever expect to hear them utter a word to us. Through all of the growls, snarls and gurgles, I'd never heard them speak an actual word. I always thought they're animal instincts took over as they succumbed to the beast inside of them.

But clearly, some didn't. Well, more like _one_ didn't.

And that's what made him so different from every other infected out there. He was unique and extraordinary. And how the hell in the world did _I_ find him?

It seemed too good to be true. I couldn't let an opportunity like this go to waste. His human instincts were obviously instilled in him – so much that he hadn't separated from them. It was almost as if he knew what he'd become on the outside.

He was a monster on the outside, his appearance gave that away. But there was something concealed internally – an essence of unknown morals – of what's considered to be right and wrong. Does he know that murder is wrong and unjustified? Or are his instincts saying it's justified to save those from any potential threat?

I looked back up at him, and he met my eyes with a worried look. I was sure to be driving him crazy with all of my thoughts – as well as my silence.

My momentary lapse in concentration flashed me back to reality. Back to the corner we were huddled by. I peeked across the man's shoulder and met Francis' cold, hard gaze. I knew it wasn't intended for me, and was directed at the man.

Or was it? I'd rejected his wants over this man's needs. Was that sure to hurt his reputation? His pride? I knew Francis well enough to know that he unconsciously denies his own personal emotions – always appearing powerful with a high self-esteem. Or does he know that he's consciously aware of his behaviour and blames others for his own self failure?

My thoughts went straight to Louis and I found myself frowning again. He took a lot of shit from Francis.

Sudden movement from my peripheral vision startled me out of my second reverie. The man reached forward with one claw. The claw moved closer – heading straight for my eye. His sharp and deadly claw landed in between my brows, right above my nose. I realised the man was trying to loosen my frown – although he hadn't done a very good job of it. He could have clawed my eye out of its socket.

He seemed to notice this as he let go and moved away from me – studying his claws with hate. Pain flickered across his features before he sank onto his haunches.

"Wait!" I yelled into the silence of the night. The man regarded me with a level look before standing straight. "We have to talk." I said.

He smiled. He _actually_ smiled. I realised his teeth were large, white and perfect. They appeared sharper than normal. A little too sharp for my liking. Instead, he grazed the back of his finger across my cheek – ensuring his claw was neatly tucked away. I glanced down at his throat that was now throbbing – almost as if he were trying to speak again.

I heard sounds of congestion before a deep, dry voice whispered, "Soon."

He sank back down again and leapt for the brick wall, before ricocheting and bounding to the opposite wall to land among the rooftops. He sent me one last smile, and then he was gone.

My attention quickly focused on the figure approaching me, his face softened – almost as if he were sorry. I wouldn't let him have it, not this time. "What you did was wrong." I said.

Hurt flickered across his face before he retained his usual emotionless mask. "I had to keep you safe, Zoey. I don't trust him." Francis replied.

I huffed and walked inside the safe room, his footsteps followed me hurriedly as he locked the steel door. "That's no excuse. Why don't you trust me?" I asked.

He grew frustrated and tried to keep his anger in control. I couldn't help but notice how clenched his fists were. "Why do you always ask me that? It's not that I don't trust you. But now, considering that you're bringing it up with that _man_, I'm beginning to think something is going on!" His voice grew louder, booming off the walls and I flinched.

He was right. I was going to retort back when he kept going. "I was only out there to watch you for safety! I didn't want him to bite you again! But now? Now that you've brought in _trust_, well hey, doesn't that make _me_ feel better, to know that the love of my life might be attracted to a monster." He avoided my shocked expression and instead, carried himself over to a corner of the room – grasping at a sleeping bag and curling up against the wall.

I was unable to think clearly as I watched him. Because… he was right. Why did I have to bring trust into this? What did trust _have_ to do with this? He was simply watching over me for protection – to ensure I wouldn't have my neck snapped or my body drained of blood. Why did I have to assume that this had anything to do with our relationship?

And then I thought of the man. I thought of his flirting demeanour, and his charming qualities that brought me closer to him spiritually. Through all of this, was I really attracted to him? Was that the reason why Francis and I were fighting now? Because I brought actual _feelings_ into this? Feelings that were unsure and unstable – but definitely feelings nonetheless?

What Francis said rocked me to my core. I had been bringing personal feelings into this. I _did_ feel something for him, whether it was because of his unique appearance or calm behaviour, I didn't know. He was just different. But I knew it wasn't enough. In my heart, it definitely wasn't enough.

My heart longed for the man in the corner, holding himself together before he exploded from his lack of control and his raging anger. He had been right all along. It wasn't about watching over us to see if we'd do something about our feelings. It was about watching over me – to fight for my protection if anything were to go wrong.

And because of all my stupid, inconsiderate and selfish actions, I'd hurt him. I'd made him think that something was definitely happening between the man and I. Even when, in most circumstances, nothing had been happening.

I didn't realise I was still standing – shocked – until Bill strolled over and grabbed my shotgun. He placed it down on the table nearby and brought me over to the opposite corner Francis inhabited. Without fighting against him, he wrapped me in sleeping bags and bent my knees so that I could sink toward the floor.

Toward the cold, cemented floor.

For one thing, I knew Francis had lost his trust in me.

* * *

The night was steady. Silent. Slow.

I found it impossible to fall asleep – not just because of the three snoring figures in the same room – but because of all the events that took place that evening. Firstly, the throw of the Tank had taken its toll on me. A death toll. I was lucky to still be functioning after the way he threw me so easily. And then came the Hunter attack. My blood loss could be considered fatal, but with a quick application of bandages, I knew the ragged claw wounds would eventually heal over time.

But would Francis' wounds heal? Not physically. But emotionally? Would he be able to forgive me for my stupidity? For my recklessness? For my rebelliousness as to how I've been acting around the infected man?

Yeah, right now… I wasn't so sure. After the events calmed down, and everyone settled into their own corners, he still didn't meet my eyes. I'd fallen asleep shortly after that, the events of the day exhausting my body and my mental health.

But sleep could only do so much. Waking up at least an hour ago, my thoughts still hadn't stopped swirling within my mind. I was worried the longer I'd be awake, the worse my thoughts were going to be. With that thought, I snuggled back into my cold sleeping bag, rested my head against the freezing wall and allowed my thoughts to alter into delusional images and imaginary dreams.

* * *

"Wake up, Zoey." A soft voice called. My eyelids fluttered open to the bright light of the safe room, and I flinched away from it momentarily as I tried to adjust from the darkness I'd just left. I realised Bill had been the one to wake me up. My eyes darted to the opposite corner, but Francis was no longer asleep. Turning my attention back to Bill, he helped move me to my feet and checked my bandages to see if the wounds were healing.

I winced from the pain that rocketed through my torso and bit down on my lip. "Sorry, Zo." Bill continued to whisper as he applied new bandages for the journey ahead. Francis, who I noticed was in a conversation with Louis, turned around to face me – his face pained to see me hurt. But once he realised I was looking back at him, he replaced the look with his emotionless mask and turned away.

I felt a tugging sensation on my heart, almost as if it were hollow. I think I was going to lose Francis.

"All done." Bill's voice snapped me from my thoughts – and from my sinking heart – as he zipped my jacket back up and walked over toward the others. I followed, unwillingly. I just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry.

"Hey guys." I said as strongly as I could. I couldn't have my voice break in front of them.

Louis seemed nonplussed by it and returned my affection. "Hey, Zo. Good to see you're doing okay." He smiled. I tried to smile back, but the most I could achieve was a slight lift of my lip on one side.

"Yeah." Francis replied. And that was all he said. He didn't even look at me. I felt my heart break further.

A heavy awkwardness hung around us all. For most of my life I used to think silence was golden. I loved to be alone without any need for sounds or voices. But in situations like these, the silence was so strong that we all had to find something else to occupy our thoughts.

I moved away from the men and grabbed my shotgun and a spare health pack and made my way for the safe room door. It looked like we were in some sort of building or storage warehouse. But there were no infected in sight.

I would have liked to kill some of them bastards.

"I guess we're going then!" Louis spoke, breaking the silence as he grabbed his rifle. The others seemed to follow my lead after that, and I unhinged the door from its bolt and stepped into further silence. I moved cunningly to the second room, but it was also empty. I held my rigidity, and searched the smaller rooms.

"I hate vans." Francis said. I would have normally laughed, but Francis' tone was cold and distant. I mimicked his own emotionless mask and imprinted it onto my facial expression. If he wasn't going to give me any satisfaction then I wouldn't return it.

Once ready and equipped, Bill opened the door leading outside to a neighbourhood street and crouched as he took in the surrounding. "There are a lot of them out here." He whispered. "Just stay here a moment." He called back to us.

I moved closer to him, although his actions sometimes got him into trouble, I trusted him in being able to move deviously as he made his way outside. He continued to crouch and made his way onto the road by a huge military tank. He grabbed at an explosive – a pipe bomb, from what I could see – and tossed the blinking tool down the street.

Now that the infected were distracted, Bill moved back over toward us, and I watched as every infected tore off for the bomb. It exploded, sending limbs and blood flying through the air before they landed with several 'thuds' and 'splatters'. I flinched.

Now that the street was deserted, we made our way toward a house with lights that signalled safety. I didn't realise it before, but the street looked familiar. True, I did live close by, but I remember coming here as a kid, visiting a friend, I think. I didn't know, I didn't actually remember. I was going to take that as a good thing.

Although the house appeared safe, there was a thick substance along the floorboards. I tried to imagine it as tomato sauce.

Bill and Louis left us to check the other rooms of the house – leaving Francis and I alone. He also realised this and tried to follow along after them. I wasn't going to let that happen.

"Wait." I said, grabbing at his arm. In that second I felt the same electrical current flow through me, igniting my love for him and a growing appeal to move my hand across his sculpted chest. I think he felt it too, because he looked back at me with deep affection and raised his hand to cup my face. But he stopped – guilt clouding his expression.

A pained look returned, and he shrugged me off lightly. "Don't, Zoey." He whispered. I wasn't going to give up yet.

"No, _you_, don't, Francis. I'm sorry for everything that happened outside. I didn't mean to hurt you." He was going to snap back, but I continued. "Yes, I know I hurt you. And I'm so, so sorry for that. You know I didn't mean it. Love is irrational; it makes us do stupid things." I was babbling on a bit, but I couldn't control my frantic nerves. He may have noticed that.

"Just leave it, Zoey. We'll talk later." And with that, he left to the backyard. Along with mixed feelings of angst and sadness, I was infuriatingly angry with him. When later? What did he mean by that? For God's sake when was there going to be a later?

I snatched at the magazines furiously and waited for Bill and Louis to return before we ventured out to the backyard. Bill led out to a large open field consisting of two cars and a military tank by the end of it. Around us, trees and shrubs held us in an open and vulnerable spot.

"Careful," Bill grumbled. "This is wide open." It was wide open. And with every step came a build up of caution. What was lurking around us?

My thoughts were answered once Louis stepped on a twig, the sound of the crack split into the air. There were several growls, but one I could distinctly hear.

"There's a Hunter around." I murmured. The growls crept closer, before finally they emerged from a back fence next door to the house we exited from. We shot at them furiously, and they fell at our feet as two rifles and two shotguns easily tore them down. They were no match for us.

We turned back around to revisit the deafening silence of the early morning. But there was something that wasn't quite right. I could hear a whimper, and a moan. And then I heard my heart somersault.

"Come on out, wussy!" Francis shouted. He must have seen the Hunter, because I momentarily forgot all about it.

"Shh!" I hushed Francis. "I think there's a Witch around." I hissed. Everyone fell silent, and in the near distance, you could definitely hear her cries. We moved on cautiously as to avoid startling her. But she was no where in sight. Our trail led to Riverside Park, but before we continued on, Bill searched through the tiny shed just near the sign.

He entered and immediately backed up. Surprise crossed his features as he shut the door with a _bang._ Now, I could definitely hear the Witch. Her cries were accumulating in rhythm and pitch. Any second now, and she would explode. Bill seemed to realise this, and he threw a Molotov – where he got it from, I had no idea – and it landed just outside the door. The glass shattered and once the flame met with the alcohol, well, that was it.

She had been startled.

Her claws – the huge spiders they were – slashed the door down in a single slice. Her screams were so high-pitched that my ears were throbbing from hearing her scream and cry. But once she was outside, her body leapt into the flames. They lingered on her body, burning and irritating her skin. The distraction was immense, as she had no will to go after Bill. Her screams – although so feminine – were animalistic and harsh as she swiped at her own body to extinguish the flames.

I realised half of the scene was blocked from my view as Francis stepped in front of me protectively. I had no idea whether he realised what he had done, whether it was out of instinct or to keep the last woman on earth alive – he did it.

I allowed myself to take in his stance. Even though the Witch paid him no attention, his stance was menacing – threatening her that if she were to come our way – he'd effectively shield me from her. I swallowed and reached for him slowly. My hand grasped around his forearm and he flinched. His resolve faltered once he realised it was me – and what he'd been doing.

It was like he snapped out of a trance, and backed away from me so I could view the scene. But I wanted nothing to do with the Witch. I just wanted to hold him.

The final cry of the Witch _startled_ me as I snapped out of my reverie. She fell to the ground, her body burnt. The stench of burned flesh was all I could smell, and I hastily left the scene and stood by the sign. I felt as if I was going to be sick.

The group finally rejoined me, and we continued along a lit path leading to bushlands. I felt uneasy with all of the trees and shrubs around us. It made me think of watching old horror movies as the villains stalked the innocent people.

_You can't see them. But they can see you._

I shivered, but not from the cold. Bill noticed and sent me a sympathetic smile before his face hardened to the warrior inside of him. I examined his facial expression and attempted to mirror it as we continued along the path of debris.

We easily took down the horde that spilled out of the shrubs and that damn Hunter that had been following us around. It managed to pin Francis, but Louis was able to knock it off him without dealing any damage. For that, I sent Louis a thankful glance.

The path led to an undercover picnic area, with picnic tables and even a bathroom by one of the walls. I managed to swipe some pills before anyone else noticed. Talk about being selfish, huh?

Bright lights flickered onto a second-story boathouse. The house itself was large. Larger than anything I've lived in. By the side of the house, about fifteen metres away was a mini dock. I realised that we could be taken to safety. My heart swelled and then lifted at the thought. Anticipation swirled inside me like wildfire.

Small cylinder planks of wood supported one wall of the house and sandbags supported the other. Francis led us inside the house and I was surprised as to how devoid this house was of blood. I hope we kept it that way…

The house itself was a little roomy, but not as big as I expected it to be. The back door led to a small balcony with the water at our feet. In the distance, I could see some buildings burning and others that had collapsed. It was a miserable sight to see. In a way, we were lucky to have made it this far.

I continued on, and made my way up the stairs by the side of the house which led to a higher veranda secured with wooden bars. A military machine gun stood perched by one side and my eyes shone with excitement as I gazed at it adoringly. I wasn't going to get my hopes up. I knew Bill wouldn't let me use it. Inside, on the second story, there were several pipe bombs and Molotovs that we could use to our advantage.

Once we familiarised ourselves with the house, we all met downstairs to decide on a plan of action. "We should probably check out that cabin." Francis cut in. "Maybe we can find something to use in there."

Bill thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Good thinking." Francis started to make his way toward it, but Bill nodded at me to follow him. I gave him a puzzled look, but followed nonetheless.

Francis, already inside, must have heard footsteps because his shotgun was raised and ready to shoot. Once he saw me, he took a double-take and drew out a breath. He was genuinely happy to see me, until he remembered our 'situation.'

"You didn't need to come, Zoey." He said.

"Yeah, I know. But I wanted to. I wanted to be your backup."

He rubbed the back of his head. "I don't need backup." Why, because you're invincible? Indestructible? I was going to snap at him, but I realised that wouldn't help our situation.

I asked the inevitable. "Are you ever going to be able to forgive me?" I tried to sound confident, but I think he saw through it.

"Zoey." His tone was authoritative. "Let's not talk about this now."

"No." I fought. "I think this is a good opportunity. I don't want you hating me forever, Francis! Even if I die trying to escape tonight… I don't want to have to leave this world knowing you loath me."

Okay, it was a bit of a suck up. But I knew he'd eat it up. "Zoey." His tone was now hurtful and pained. "Don't you dare say that!" He treaded over to me in two bounds and caught my face in his hands. "I don't hate you. I've never hated you. And don't you dare say you're going to die tonight. Don't be so ridiculous! I couldn't live in a world where you don't exist." I thought he might have kissed me then, but he pulled away.

I couldn't help but ask, "Do you love me, Francis?" in a small voice.

He still had his back turned away from me, so I couldn't interpret the emotions on his face. For once, I was worried. I really had hurt him. But he turned around to face me, his face showing a hint of guilt mixed in with light affection. "I do love you, Zoey. I love you so much, it hurts."

And then, he kissed me.

I watched as he moved closer, the softness of his eyes caressing me warmly. It was impossible to look away. His hands cupped my face and he leaned down to brush his lips against mine. They were so, so soft, and so very sweet. His lips moved along my skin, igniting goose bumps and radiant heat wherever his lips touched. My arms snaked around his neck to bring him closer as he trailed down my jaw line to rest against my jugular.

His lips found my soft spot as he nibbled on the skin, causing me to sigh with pleasure as I pulled him closer. His goatee scratched my neck a little, but the touch was gone once his lips met mine again, and they trembled ever so slightly, parting just an inch. The heat of his mouth flooded into mine, causing a soft moan to escape.

This time, his lips were demanding once they met mine and I responded instantly, my hands tracing down the hard muscles of his chest. He moved me slightly and pushed me up against the wall, his hands caught in my hair. He nudged my lips with his tongue, assisting me to open them so that it slipped in between them.

After a long kiss, he pulled back slightly to look into my eyes, his hands running down my back and landing around my hips, holding me against him. His eyes smoldered into mine, the cold-grey tone only ignited heat as his crisp, masculine scent wafted around me, causing a longing to stir in my heart.

He gently picked me up and set me down on the single bed inhabiting the room, before climbing on top of me, pressing light weight against me as my heart hammered against my chest. I slipped my hands underneath the leather of his vest, moving along his white shirt. I pulled off the vest, and he helped shrug it off as it landed on the floor, the muscles on his arms clearly exposed.

His lips found mine again, his tongue trailing along my bottom lip. I allowed access into my mouth as our tongues danced passionately. His fingers – through months of rough, violent exertion – felt soft and gentle along my skin. They moved down my neck and followed down along my chest as his fingers worked on the zipper of my jacket, tugging on it to expose my tank top underneath.

This time, I realised we weren't playing around. Even though there were protests in my head, screaming at me to stop and to deal with the danger around us, his lips brushed against mine so wonderfully, that I forgot about everything else.

Francis' fingers found my blazing skin inside my top, and even when they swept against my bandages, I felt no pain. They moved slowly, gradually moving upwards as he tickled against my ribs, nearing the edge of my bra. His lips moved down to my neck, sucking and nibbling at the skin, creating a rush of heat to implode within me. Francis' fingers now along the border of my bra, fought their way inside as a moan formed in my throat.

And then, we heard gunshots.

I gasped as Francis lunged off me and spun around to face the threat. But there was nothing here. He raced toward the open window – his face now furious at what he saw before he turned to gaze back at me.

His face held all the affection in the world as he stared at me – and my exposed stomach, enthusiastically. He moved toward me, and sat by the edge of the bed.

"That was Bill." He said, softly. "We _should_ get goin' back." He laughed then, and the sound of his laugh thrilled me. "Not that I want to." His gaze caught mine again as he kissed me softly. But he pulled back, unwillingly, as he picked up his leather vest and put it back on. He turned back and kneeled by me and stroked my cheek. "I'm sorry," He whispered. "Especially for the way I acted toward you."

I smiled wholeheartedly and captured his lips in a kiss. "It was wrong of me to bring trust into the situation." I said, reflecting on the fight we had in the safe room. "You were right about everything. You did just want to keep me safe. But you have to believe me when I say that nothing happened."

He nodded, "I believe you." He stood back up and stood by the window, glaring at a figure in the distance.

I shot up from the bed, pulled my tank top down and zipped up my jacket. My face felt hot and flustered and I could only imagine the situation of my hair. It probably represented a bird nest. Before we left, we calmed ourselves down from the intense moment, and fixed our appearances before we left the cabin nonchalantly. This time, Francis held my hand as we walked back.

"Took your time." Bill grunted. I didn't think it was obvious, but once Bill and Louis regarded us skeptically, I _knew_ they knew something happened. My cheeks flushed.

"What are you lookin' at us like that?" Francis barked back. "We found pills." He said simply. I knew our cover was blown, but Francis actually managed to produce a small container of pills from his holster. Maybe he really did find pills.

"So can we like, go now?" I asked, impatiently. Who wanted to wait around to die? Not me.

"Right. Inside then." He motioned. We followed inside, and I felt giddy.

"Guys, I really think we're going to make it!" My anticipation and excitement seemed to catch on with everyone else. And for that, we grew stronger as a team. Even Bill managed a small smile. Francis moved over toward the radio.

"Everyone ready?" he asked. Ready? Ready to leave this hellhole? To move to a space free of suffering and pain? Hell yeah.

"Yeah. Let's do it." I said.

"Yep." Louis replied.

Bill nodded, replacing his cigarette with a freshly lit one. "Affirmative."

Francis flicked the radio on and we were met with a loud, clear voice. "_If there is anyone out there, this is John and Amanda Slater. We are a small fishing vessel anchored off Riverside. We have provisions and a route to safety. We just need to get there alive. Anyone with firepower respond."_

"Attention boat owners! We are, uh, the cops! I command you to pick us up!" Francis barked into the radio transmission.

The voice replied was one of disbelief. _"Hello? Hello! We're heading to the military outpost upriver. We can come get you in ten minutes. Arm yourselves for the trip and tell me when to head out."_

Ten minutes? Just ten more minutes and we'd be out of here. Out to safety. Out to discover the remainder of the world prior to the apocalypse. My heart skipped several beats.

"Right." Bill started again. "We either hole ourselves in this house, or we can head upstairs and someone can use the minigun. The environment here isn't very safe, and danger lurks around every piece of debris. We can't fool around this time. If someone's in trouble, help them out. Don't do anything stupid. Don't fight any special infected _alone_." He looked at me then, for reasons unknown. Perhaps he was thinking about the last time we tried to reach salvation. The time I'd… let them go.

I tried to snap myself out of the heartbreaking thought, and instead, pictured us leaving safely on the boat. I looked back up at Bill and met his glance. His words made us feel as if we were ten, but the tone implied that we would make it to safety if we followed his instructions. We all respected him, without doubt.

We all agreed on the use of the minigun. The rest of us would have to cover the surroundings by the back of the house. As for any Tanks, if they came in the direction of the minigun, then we'd pelt as much damage as possible before it reached us. It was Francis who would take the minigun, and as much as I wanted to use it, my aim wasn't as good as his.

In spite of myself, I could trust Francis to keep us as safe as possible whilst using it.

"Okay. Alert John." Francis spoke as he stood by the machine gun. Bill trumped back downstairs and alerted the rescue. I could hear John's voice from upstairs.

"_Perfect. We'll be there in ten minutes_."

"Alright guys, the boat's on its way!" I shouted before my yell was masked by the alarming howl of the oncoming horde.

Although Francis took care of most of the horde, several were able to fight their way up to the second story balcony to attack us. Others clambered through the house and tore the walls down to reach us outside.

But we showed no mercy, even when the dead air calmed us down from their initial attack, the pounding of the Tank alerted us next. It was as if he were harvesting for our blood and persevering until we reached death's toll.

We heard his deep rumbles through the debris, but we had no way to actually see him. I felt a minor vibration along the ground, and realised he'd picked up a slab of rock. It hurtled through the air and landed by the house, shattering an entire wall down. Thankfully, none of the rocks pivoted to hit us, and now, we knew the direction it was coming from.

Francis unleashed the force of the machine gun onto the Tank, and we helped as much as we could with our shotguns and rifles. Eventually, the Tank appeared along the edge of the trees and stopped to pick up a second slab of the earth.

He sent the force of the earth hammering towards Francis. The piece of earth – although softer than cement – smashed against the minigun, pieces of it flying behind us and even on Francis' own face. But he didn't stop with the machine gun, even when the Tank had thrown the piece of earth.

The Tank roared hysterically and climbed up along the ledge by the left of Francis. I realised the minigun couldn't reach the Tank effectively enough, so he leapt off it and grabbed his shotgun. Together we pelted as many bullets as physically possible. Gradually, the Tank neared us, flailing his huge limbs to throw us off the balcony.

But he was weakening. And together, with our combined strength and morale, the Tank fell at our feet into a jumble of muscle and fell limp.

"_We can see the shore! We'll be there in a few minutes!"_ It was John's voice that startled every one of us. We were on a severe high. This time, we knew we could do it.

Francis took his place by the minigun once more and this time I used this opportunity to throw a pipe bomb into the trees. Every infected in sight followed along after it, growling and snarling before the beeping progressed to immediate beats and then exploded. Again, I used another pipe bomb and threw it into the opposite direction and waited for the explosion. This wasn't about showing off to prove our skills. This wasn't even about seeing any action take place.

This was about using every little advantage we could to escape here alive. Sure, if I were playing a game somewhat similar to this, I'd think it was cheap and brutally annoying. But in times when your life was in danger and in that split second when you thought you were going to make it to safety and something goes wrong – that's when you should do everything in your power to survive.

Because this time, I wasn't going to throw myself into the act of danger. I had done that once, and that resulted in my separation from the team. This time, I was going to fight boldly without resistance.

Another familiar reverberation pounded through the atmosphere as a hulky figure was seen in the mist of the early morning. I turned around to grab a Molotov, because in this situation, Francis wouldn't be able to use the minigun. We had to fight it, alone.

All four of us sprinted down the stairs and met right outside the boathouse, waiting for the figure to make its entrance. Its roar alerted us in the right direction, but I couldn't throw the Molotov just yet. My hands were sweating so much, that I thought I was going to drop the Molotov. I had to calm myself down.

_There!_

I spotted it along the edge of the water, near the mini dock. It found us all huddled together and pounded its way over. My chance finally came, and I threw the Molotov straight at the Tank. The glass hit him in the head – a perfect shot – and exploded as the alcohol mingled with the flames. His initial reaction made him flinch from the fire, but he seemed to forget about it once he closed the distance toward us.

We spread out then, our group splitting into twos as we bombarded the Tank with our bullets. The Tank chose to go after Bill and Louis, but we followed along behind it closely.

But something snaked around my waist, and before I could utter a cry, the tongue blocked off my mouth and I was sent dragging along the ground. Francis hadn't heard the Smoker, so he continued to assault the Tank with his shotgun.

I realised half of my arm was free from his slimy appendage, and I used the opportunity to grab at my pills – thanking myself for taking them! – and shook them vigorously. I knew I looked stupid and maybe even a little humourous, but the constant tapping of the pills alarmed Francis as he turned back around.

His face showed shock – no hint of humour was evident in his expression – and sprinted passed me. I panicked for a second, what the hell was he doing? But the sudden explosion of the Smoker released me from his bind and I was able to stand. He took a hold of my hand and practically dragged me over toward the fight.

The Tank, still alight, pulverized a tree in its way, and hurtled Louis out of the way. I realised Bill had already been thrown, hence the severe limp to his posture. But we joined the fight without hesitance, and startled the Tank to turn around to face us. After all, it was only fair toward the others.

He dashed after us, roaring uncontrollably and thrashing his limbs towards us. I wasn't close enough to be thrown, but his arm managed whack me aside furiously as he thundered after Francis. I landed on my arm, and heard a distinctive crack. But I didn't focus on it; I pushed myself to follow after them. I wasn't going to lose Francis.

Francis managed to avoid the Tank's pivots, and was able to dive around to the other side of the Tank. Francis now sprinted toward me, while the Tank battered his way over back to us. I walked forward, shooting-reloading, shooting-reloading. It was a constant workout for my hands and arms.

But there was a far off booming sound. I had no idea where it came from, but my alert was on a rollercoaster as the Tank _finally_ fell dead by our feet. Holding onto my tears, I searched for the faces that would calm the angst inside of me. The faces of my family.

"Haul ass to that boat; RUN!" Bill barked in the air. I realised the boat had arrived. I wasn't going to be told twice. I filed my shotgun over my back and grasped onto my dual pistols.

"Let's go!" Louis yelled over the alarm of the horde.

Heart pounding a million beats per second, I felt Francis' hand clasp around mine – ensuring I wasn't going to pull the same trick twice as he tore off in the direction of the mini dock. The boat was anxiously waiting for our approaching figures, as Bill and Louis had already embarked.

"To the boat; MOVE!" I heard their shouts and screams for us to hurry up, so I pushed myself faster – beyond the point of caring. But I knew all too soon, I was going to pass out.

The grass underneath our feet finally gave way to wooden floorings. We passed an abandoned red gas can as we neared closer, but that thought swiftly disappeared as I heard them behind us. I swear I felt one of them tug on my jacket.

A thought clicked.

"Wait a sec." I huffed as I pulled away from Francis and held onto a single pistol to aim for the gas can. My heart beat couldn't have thudded any faster, and I knew in my peripheral vision that they were gaining on us. But I didn't allow myself to focus on that, I drew out a single breath and shot.

A path of fire ignited from the can as the infected thundered right into it, their bodies seemed to be dancing as they struggled to extinguish the flames. A crescendo of fire suddenly exploded, creating a barrier to protect us for a little while longer.

"Get to the boat!" Francis – now impatient – grabbed me by my waist and hoisted me over his shoulder as he sprinted for the boat, the fire spreading rapidly and licking at his boots. Seconds ticked by as my vision blurred, but I could distinctly hear a grumble and then a _whoosh_ of air before we collapsed onto the safety of the boat.

Francis lunged up from his spot and cradled me in his arms. "Good thinkin' love. Just make sure I'm not so close next time." He winked and I smiled, realising that we were finally going to be taken to safety.

And then the realisation suddenly hit me.

Our fight for safety had been brought to an end. We had won. We were safe.

It was over.

* * *

**A/N: And finally, an end to the Death Toll campaign! I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written, but I couldn't separate it into two different chapters! I hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter, and really, the entire story. Because, I couldn't have done it without everyone's moral support and for their supportive reviews. They really motivate me, so keep them up!**

**I know we haven't seen very much of the gentleman-like special infected, but don't think you've seen the last of him. But underneath it all, what does he really want? To be human? To bite Francis' head off? To love Zoey?**

**I'm ecstatic to see this chapter finally up. I've basically spent 4 and a half hours writing on my Saturday morning, and really, I couldn't think of anything better to do. I simply love writing and I wanted you guys to read another chapter.**

**Also, did anyone notice the paragraph hinting at all the major campaigns of Left 4 Dead? I thought it sounded pretty cool, hope you guys liked it!**

**As always, an enormous thankyou to my readers! I love you guys so much, and your motivation and inspiration is astounding, and I really wouldn't have thought I'd make it this far. Thankyou to the reviewers: Linkin Park110, The Shining Freak, Anna-Selene-Darkness, xAme-chan, Duke of Night and Emmaleigh! Having reviews like you guys is a great motivation, and I love hearing your thoughts on every chapter!**

**Until next time, I'm out. Peace.**

**Note:  
****Duke of Night - I'd love to share some tips, but do you have an actual profile that I can inbox to? If not, I'll just send a usual inbox to your name.**


	20. Blood Spills, Pregnancy Kills

Their strength never failed to amaze me. No matter how small and lanky some of these infected men and women were, the damage inflicted on us was staggering. A kick to the calf sent me sprawling to my knees. I tried to regain strength to stand back up, but the second I tried, the moment they realised I was out for the count.

They flailed again, a thundering blow to the back of my head and I crashed against the cement of the rooftop. Even amongst the horde, I could still see the chopper's rotors as they spun at a blinding rate. A dizzying sensation swirled within me as I kept my gaze on the rotors, and even as the infected kicked and beat at me, I could still see the faces of those I travelled with.

It looked like the chopper couldn't wait a second longer, because the rotors moved so fast that I couldn't keep up with the movement. I ordered myself to look away from them and back to the faces of my family. _Francis,_ I thought. I loved him so much. But I wasn't going to make it. He stared back at me from the chopper, sadness cast over his features.

But they did nothing to come after me. It was like they were statues, their facial expressions revealed nothing else but sadness. Their limbs – unmoveable. The pilot's face was impassive, but I could still detect a hint of a grimace as he stared back at me. My eyes found Francis' again, and I couldn't look away from his tortured expression.

His eyes were the last image I saw before I was sent rolling several metres away. The infected crowded around, never stopping with their violence. I felt a blinding kick on my back. I felt claws rake through my skin – immediately drawing blood. I felt teeth pierce the scar along my neck as even more blood spurted out. "Help me." Except no words came out. Nothing. Not even a voice.

"Don't go yet!" I tried to shout. Again, there was nothing to hear. I had no voice.

I was aware of a burning sensation along my body, and then there was nothing but pain – a pain so intense it was beyond comprehension. Infected. I had been brought down by the infected. And not just one, but an entire horde.

_Cheaters,_ I thought. They couldn't take me down singularly, but relied on the strength and numbers of an entire pack. I'd spent the last couple of weeks learning hand-to-hand combat, focusing on dodging claws and powerful blows to the head, and even training to use a weapon. Infected?

All I knew in that moment was that I was going to die, regardless.

"_Come back for me_!" I screamed. But it was no use. They couldn't hear me. I couldn't even hear myself. My vision slightly faltered, and at random seconds all I could distinctly see was white irises and lots of red substances.

Just before the light completely vanished, I saw the faces of my family. I decided then that if the people I loved most were safe, and were leaving this world to find civilisation again, then I could leave _this_ world peacefully. The infected could finally have me.

Francis' face shone with tears, and despite how much pain I was undergoing, I hoped my expression revealed just how much I loved him. With my last spark of life, I tried to speak, tried to let Francis know I loved him too.

But there was only silence.

* * *

"Zoey!" I woke to a darkened compartment. My breathing was rapid and laboured, and I could feel sweat glide down my cheek. I turned to look at Francis, realising this wasn't the first time he'd called my name.

"Zoey, are you okay?" Louis asked next, his expression shifted from relief to confusion.

"I'm fine." I whispered. "Just had a bad dream. It was nothing." I focused on collecting my breathing together. I had to stay in control. They shouldn't see how much it affected me. Because, it didn't affect me. Yes, that's right. I'll just keep telling myself that, and then after a while, it will sink in. _It didn't affect me._ It was nothing. Just a stupid nightmare. Like so many others.

"Zoey, look at me." Francis said. Again, I realised he'd been trying to talk to me in between all of my nonsense rambling. I looked at him as calmly as I could, and he grabbed my head in both of his hands. "Talk to me. Let me help you."

I shook my head. "I'm fine. It was just a nightmare." He began to protest, but I cut in. "I don't want to talk about it."

He sized me up for several more seconds, and then relaxed next to me. I realised then, that I could hear the familiar swishing of the chopper's rotors. "Oh my God, we're in a chopper?" The serene façade began to crumble to hysteria as I gripped a side bar, clenching my muscles together.

Francis grabbed at both of my hands and held them tightly. "_Zoey._" His voice was stern and weirdly, authoritative. It was never like him to be like that. My gaze suddenly flickered to Bill, whom I hadn't heard anything from – which was understandable – because he was sleeping.

"Zo, I hate seein' you like this. Can't you talk to me?" his voice was loud, despite the roar of the engine.

"I don't want to talk about it." I whispered, taking Bill into consideration. "It just surprised me, is all. Why are we in a chopper? How did we get here?", and most importantly, "What happened to me? Did I really sleep all that way?" I asked, throwing as many questions as I could to get his mind off my nightmare.

He knew what I was doing, but he spoke nonetheless. "You passed out a few minutes after the boat started to move. I don't blame you; I was on the verge of collapsing too." I realised then that his eyes had dark circles underneath them. He hadn't slept. "John, the dude from the radio, picked us up and took us to a nearby shore where they transferred some other survivors. His wife, Amanda managed to get us into the chopper almost as soon as we arrived." His eyes glanced away, looking around the tiny compartment. "We've been here ever since."

"How long have we been flying?" I asked.

"Probably around half an hour. It's been a few hours since we've left Riverside."

I nodded, and studied the compartment around us. Nothing but four seats in a dark room. "And where are we going now?"

"They won't tell us the whereabouts exactly. Maybe they don't want us to know. But I'd bet we're heading to the Riverside evacuation zone." He grimaced.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taking his hands into my own. He looked at me grudgingly, and sneered.

"Pilot better not die on us." He muttered. The sudden silence of the room seemed deafening, and I swear I could hear an annoying alarm buzzing in my ears. It was that quiet. Well, Francis knew how to clear a room of happiness, that's for sure.

"Don't think such things, Francis. We're going to be fine." I guaranteed. I was going to make sure of it.

"She's right." Louis cut in before Francis could protest. "As soon as this ride is over, we'll be in the safety of the evacuation zone. Then there'll be nothing to worry about."

Francis still had trouble believing any of us. He was quiet after that and no sooner than ten minutes the silence of the room was filled with Francis' snores. Even though they were boomingly loud, I found comfort in the serenity and contentment of the room. Soon enough, I was asleep too.

I woke to a startling BANG and then a clunking CLINK as the helicopter doors flooded open in front of us, blinding us from the intense sunlight. I flinched back involuntarily, the blinding light burning my sight as I failed to register who had opened the chopper's doors.

Then the voice spoke. "Please exit the vehicle with your hands on your head. Do not remove them until I say so. Any weaponry is to be left inside the vehicle. Any attempt to take or use your weapons will result in harsh consequences. Failure to comply with these standards and you will be dealt with severely."

Even though I was half asleep, I could grasp the meaning of his words. Failure of compliance? Death. I regretfully left my weapons behind, and bid a silent goodbye to my dual pistols. It was like a part of me had been left behind. Was I normal to feel that way?

Who cares? We had a great run, right?

Bill exited the chopper first, placing his hands atop his head and walking several steps ahead to wait for further instructions. I followed him obediently, and Louis followed. Francis was the last to exit.

Truthfully, I think we all felt pretty stupid with our hands on our heads like this. Was this a normal routine? It seemed too demeaning. Not that I was judging…

Directly across from us were three military personnel dressed immaculately in some form of CEDA uniforms. Except, they didn't look like standard CEDA uniforms. Not that I knew what they looked like. They were all snugly fitted into black military pants (they totally look like tactical pants) folded into their black boots with a navy t-shirt (mostly hidden) underneath a black tactical vest. One man was bald, the other had a terrible receding hairline (and tried to hide it wearing a navy helmet), and the other reminded me creepily of Ellis. Well, not creepily… he just looked like the kid.

"Sir, leave the weapon behind and move into position with the rest of your comrades, _now_." Receding Hairline barked at Francis. I sneaked a glance behind me and saw the fiery battle Francis was fighting. How could he leave his beloved shotgun behind? It was his one most important possession. Hey, wait.

"_Sir. Leave the weapon behind and stand in formation. You will not like the consequences!"_ Dammit Francis. Please listen to him. If only you could read my God-damn thoughts!

Receding Hairline made a sudden gesture to Baldy, and within one second, Baldy fired a shot from one of his pistols. I gasped, "FRANCIS!" and left my formation to stand by him, but a sharp arm pulled me back.

"Don't get yourself into trouble." Bill muttered into my ear. I realised there was no scream from any bullet wound. As I turned back to look at Francis, none of his beautiful self had been hurt. The bullet was just a warning.

"Francis, leave the damn shotgun and follow their rules." I realised it as my own voice that spoke. I didn't intend for it to sound so harsh. Francis met my eyes with hurt cast over his features. "Please." I added, whispering. Oh God, if anything were to happen to him… Not now… Not after everything we've been through to make it here…

The war was won in Francis' eyes. He dropped the shotgun as it clattered to the floor and thudded his way sloppily over toward me. "Fucking –" Francis' words were cut off as Receding Hairline stepped closer to us.

"Remain in formation. We're doing a professional standardised check to ensure no forms of weaponry or illegal substances are brought into the evacuation zone." I gulped as the three men approached, and closed my eyes as Creepy Ellis stood in front of me. He padded me down, touching a little harder than necessary – and maybe a little longer – but once his 'professional standardised check' was finished, he let go and moved further away from us.

Was he afraid? Is he immune? Or is he a carrier? My guess would be a carrier. I couldn't verify his immunity. Neither his, nor anyone else's around here.

"Right. I'll lead your group up to the front gate and hand you over to CEDA officials. No form of communication is to take place until other instructions have been permitted." Receding Hairline motioned for us to follow him.

So they were from the military then. Great. Here we come, CEDA.

I tried to match Francis' footsteps, and had a difficult time keeping up with his frustrated stride, but he needed to see the look on my face. I couldn't let him storm in there. He was going to kill himself otherwise.

It took us a good seven minutes before we could see the perches of the front gate. And by the looks of it, there was no way we'd be able to leave this place. It wasn't only because of the security, but the gates themselves were wrought iron and elongated stalks that seemed impossible to climb over. At least we'd be safer inside, right? _Fuck_.

The gates towered over us all, and the building itself looked institutionalised. It was creepy as hell and emitted a 'foreboding' ambience. At least it looked… secure.

"One moment." Receding Hairline motioned for us to remain where we were and strode towards the so-called 'CEDA officials'. I guessed they were discussing the new survivors, aka: us. I hoped we weren't going to be separated. They wouldn't separate us would they? They'd have no reason to…

"They'll take care of matters from here. It was lucky your group was found before we commenced our project. Let's just hope you were the last to be evacuated." Receding Hairline bid us farewell, and before either of us had time to question what he meant by 'our project', a shockingly pale man approached us in his CEDA uniform. He had cute, brown curly hair and brown eyes framed by a pair of thick, black glasses.

"In you come. Welcome to your new home." I couldn't pinpoint whether he was being sarcastic or not, but he led us inside. The front room was blandly grey without any windows. I felt a little claustrophobic within this room. Not a good sign.

"Just step through the metal detectors and screenings. It's just to ensure that nobody is hiding anything illegal, blah blah, yada-yada, the usual. Once you're done we'll head inside and I can show you guys around. It's a pretty secure place." Definitely not sarcasm, just a surprisingly nice guy. This place is really starting to freak me out.

We all followed through the screenings individually, everyone confirmed to have an 'Access Granted' before we were led further inside the building.

"To your left are the group tents. Most tents usually accompany a group of five. During the day the tents may be accompanied by both sexes. However, no sleeping arrangements can include unisex groups." The CEDA dude glanced at me uncomfortably. "You'll have to sleep in a different tent."

I gulped. I couldn't find any other words. This was all too sudden and scary. How the fuck can I sleep in my own tent without these guys? I mean, _surely_ they weren't going to expect that people would get up to… _that._ Would they? Shit. They would. _Calm, Zoey. Breathe. Everything is going to be okay._

"What's your name, son?" Bill asked. It was the first time any of us had spoken since Francis' incident.

"I'm not really supposed to reveal such information." He said awkwardly.

"You seem like a nice fellow, can't we get a name? Or refer to you if we have any problems or concerns?" Bill asked. Why would he want to know, anyway?

He stared at Bill for several long seconds, "The name's Angus." That's totally a fake name. "We'll move along now. Opposite the tents are the restrooms which are, of course, off-limits to opposite sexes – if you haven't figured that out already. They contain the usual toilets, showers, baths, sinks, you'll also find your own toiletries in there. I know I'm probably stating the obvious, but these are standard instructions I must reveal to you. At least, that's what my boss says."

"You look a little pale, Angus. You feeling a little under the weather?" Louis asked. Why does he have to be so _nice_ to everyone for? Dammit.

Angus held his hands up alarmingly. "Hold it. I'm not coming down with that Green Flu if that's what you're thinking!" Then, he started laughing. "It's all good, buddy. I don't usually show you guys around. I'm actually a part of the medical team that CEDA works with. I'm usually formally dressed in a hazmat suit. You can never get enough vitamin D to soak through that stuff!"

Asswipe.

Wait.

"You work with medical researches and such?" I asked.

"Yeah, part of the med team here. I got transferred as soon as the infection broke out. We've been working to find cures and to develop antidotes. It's uh –" He paused for a second and scrutinized us. "It's not going along so well."

Angus, this beautiful son-of-a-gun was exactly the type of person I needed to talk to. What if I told him all about the cure we'd found out about during our escape. Would he believe me? Ask to see evidence? Laugh at me? I guess it wouldn't hurt to find out.

"Moving on!" He led us forward again, and I mentally slapped myself for not asking earlier. "Ahead we have the cafeteria. Food is served at any hour of the day. However we usually keep standard timings for large meals like breakfast and such. Breakfast is at nine, lunch at one and dinner at seven. In between these times are leisure activities that you guys have access to. Beyond the cafeteria," He pointed toward a double set of doors down the corridor, "is a games-room, I guess you could call it. You can check it out for yourself anyway. Outside we've got a mini gym set-up so you can pump those muscles." He grabbed Francis' arm and squeezed it.

"What the fuck?" Francis bellowed.

"I guess that concludes your tour. I have to get back to work and such, but if you have any questions, those guys in black are the regular CEDA guys. You should probably talk to them." He ignored Francis' outroar without as much as a blink and started walking away. "Oh, before I forget, you're all due for a scientific examination in about an hour. It's just a check-up to see if you really are a carrier or not. The medical wing is off to the left of the cafeteria. I can come meet you after lunch sometime. Catch you guys later!"

"He's… nice." Louis started.

"He's quite unprofessional." Bill stated.

"He's a fuckwit. I'm going to kill him." Francis swore.

"Hold up one second." I started running toward the medical wing and called for Angus' attention. He swung around, confused as to who was talking to him, until his eyes caught mine.

"Is everything okay? Already lost?"

Dick. "No, I just wanted to uh, ask something."

He glanced at his watch and without meeting my eyes, he nodded. "Sure. Keep it quick, though."

"I've been travelling with those men for countless weeks. Is it too much to ask that I can't stay in the same tent as them? I mean, we're practically family! You can't just split us up! Who the hell am I going to stay with? I-I can't…" I was talking much too quickly, and breathing much too less. Not good. I started panicking. "Please, you can't split us up. This place is so ugly, and empty –"

"I'm sorry. Really." I doubted it. "It's CEDA's policy. I trust you with your intentions, and I know you're not going to get up to anything, but it's just the regulations they have in place. It's a risk they can't take. If you'll excuse me."

He walked off without a second glance. I turned back around realising the guys were right behind me. A single tear trickled down my cheek.

"I'm sorry, Zoey." Bill placed a hand on my shoulder, comfortingly.

"We'll sneak you in. I don't give a fuck about their regulations. This is all bullshit." Francis hugged me in his embrace. In that moment, all of my problems faded away.

We spent the last hour checking out the tents and bathrooms, had a small bite to eat (surprisingly none of us were really hungry. I couldn't even remember the last time I ate…) and remained lying on the chairs and tables in the cafeteria. It was alarming at how little people there were here. Truthfully, I expected this place to be filled with escaping strangers. But we'd all seen only two other people. I was beginning to doubt that Ellis' group was here. Was it possible they were taken to another evac site? Maybe.

The hour passed slowly, and it felt as if a month had flown by. I couldn't handle being here forever. Okay, so maybe we wouldn't be here forever, but by the time the world would be restored back to perfection (or what it was before the Green Flu began) it would certainly take years. I was frightened at the prospect of staying here so long.

Finally, Angus returned and my thoughts suddenly disappeared. I was all nerves again. "Good to see you guys looking a little less… sullen." I was sure he'd had a hard time coming up with that last word. "We're ready for you in the medical wing. If you'll just follow me."

We all stood up grudgingly and followed him. The medical wing was just as worse as the rest of the place. White, bland, and thoroughly sterilised, so fucking horrible. Teams of researchers and scientists all appeared to be testing blood and liquids of such – none of it made any sense to me. But it was all the while… comforting… to know at least, they'd been trying.

"We'll have to park it here. If I could get you four to sign these sheets – just to clarify names, ages and such, and we'll soon get started."

"I'm so changing my name." Francis joked, after Angus was out of earshot. "How about Max Power? No, Obama! NO! Bill. Bill is perfect."

"Shut your trap, Francis. You ain't taking my name!" Bill barked at him. He reached inside his front pocket for a cigarette, and instantly his face fell. "God-dammit." He muttered to himself. I gave him a sideways smile. Good. He can learn to stop smoking.

Once our files were complete (and Francis' was torn up and re-completed) Angus led us inside the facility and spoke with a female nurse who accompanied him. "Zoey, you'll have to go with Dora. She's a professional female nurse and will be able to take care of you through your examinations."

"You mean I get split again? This isn't fair!" I shouted.

"We don't allow male nurses to examine female clients, nor vice versa. It's just a policy CEDA has here. But you don't need to worry Zoey; I'll have you back with your friends in no time." Dora smiled at me, her long, black hair covering a portion of her pale face. Looks like she doesn't get out much in the sun either.

Francis and I made it difficult for Angus and Dora to separate us, but they managed… after a while. I was taken into a different room where Dora took a sample of my blood and healed my wounds with antiseptic creams and tonics. She also checked to ensure I wasn't pregnant. _That_ is something I was sure I was never going to go through in my life! Especially with Dora. It was so… embarrassing.

"You have quite a rare blood type, Zoey." She smiled at me warmly.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, nonchalantly.

She nodded. "AB- is always in need. I guess I could say we're lucky to have you."

"Whoop-de-doo."

"No sexual intercourse lately?" she asked.

Bah! "Excuse me?"

She laughed at my reaction. "Have you had sexual intercourse ever since the outbreak of the Green Flu?"

"No. No way."

"How about before the outbreak? I know you're not showing any signs of pregnancy, but it's a question we have to ask all of our patients."

"No. I've uh, I've never had sexual intercourse." I said lamely.

"That's perfectly fine." She said evenly.

_So embarrassing. So embarrassing. So embarrassing._

"Has there… been a problem with that before?" I asked.

"With a pregnancy?"

I nodded. She looked thoughtful for a moment. "There has. There's been severe cases. The whole outbreak has really changed my outlook on medicine. But yes, we've had extreme cases where there have been unfortunate events. Nothing I can fully reveal of course, I hope you understand."

"Sure." I had a sudden image of a pregnant woman being torn apart by her zombie baby. Yecch.

"I think you're good to go. Any questions or concerns you'd like to bring up with me?" she asked.

"Have you been close to finding a cure?" I blurted out.

She gave me an uneasy stare. "No, we haven't. We haven't had access to all of the blood types to test our hypotheses. But we think at least one of them might be able to counteract the infection. At least, that's what we hope."

I gulped. Was this my chance to say it? I bit my lip nervously.

"You look a little pale. Are you feeling okay?" Dora asked.

"I think my blood is the cure to the infection." I stated. She stared at me for several long seconds.

And then she laughed, "I think you're my favourite patient, Zoey. It was nice meeting you." She stood and led me out of the room. "I'll take you back to your friends now."

* * *

"I told her! She thought I was _joking!_" I was so frustrated that she flipped me off like that. It was a serious topic we were discussing! How could she not take that into consideration?

"She'll find out sooner or later. I'm sure they'll test your blood." Louis stated positively.

"We'll be long gone before she tests it." Francis muttered.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We're leaving this place, Zoey. There's no fucking way I'm staying _here_ for the rest of my god-damn life!"

"Don't cause a scene, Francis! Or you'll get us under supervision!" Bill argued. He was shaking slightly. I could tell he was itching for a cigarette and eyeing the cafeteria ladies with malice as they took a drag from theirs. He mumbled under his breath.

"Maybe I should bring it up with Angus. He might be able to help." I said thoughtfully to myself. "He might believe me."

"He won't. Nobody will. They're all inconsiderate pricks." Francis said, miffed.

"We've been here for two hours and I'm already sick of this place! How is that possible?" I slammed my hands against the table.

"Don't make a scene." Bill said.

"There's no one around! What the fuck happened to all the damn survivors?" Francis retorted.

"Not many were able to make it here." A familiar southern accent drifted into the room from the direction of the tents. All of us looked up at the newcomer. "Howdy strangers, it's good to see some familiar faces, again."

I grinned. "Ellis… is that you?"

* * *

**A/N: Finally good to see another chapter up! I was worried about my writers block for a while there. It's been what, like 2 months since I updated? I'm sosoososo sorry! School became a bitch (when is it not?) but hey, I only have 4 months left until it's officially OVER. CAN NOT WAIT.**

**Also, had a few personal problems to deal with. It's been a long, hard few months, but time heals everything, right? Heh =/**

**Huge thankyous to my reviewers: The Shining Freak, Linkin Park 110, xAme-chan, Anna-Selene-Darkness, Duke of Night (tips are coming; I'm so sorry about the wait), SOAfan, Emmaleigh and KellyEliz as well as those who alerted/favourited this story. The story wouldn't be what it is now without every one of you guys. Thanks heaps for your support!**

**Anyway, hope you guys are happy with this! I'm not going to let that happen again as I have holidays coming up = hours and hours of writing for you guys! It's been ages since I've been on FF, and I've missed you guys heaaaaaaps. Hope that's not creepy. Okay, maybe it is. I'll get the hell out of here, now.**


	21. Expect the Unexpected

There was no mistaking the Southern drawl from his handsomely familiar face.

… And he looked _good. _

Perhaps the time away from Hell and destruction on Earth had taken its toll and finally restored him to the person he once was. Whatever the reason, he looked healthy and… happy. But maybe it was just happiness at seeing a familiar face.

Because despite the fact that I've lost everything from my previous life and tortured myself through the zombie apocalypse… I was happy to see him too.

"Ellis!" I shouted upon recognition. I leapt from the cafeteria seats and collided into his hulking muscles for a hug.

Boy, had he changed!

He chuckled. "It's good to see ya, Zoey. It's about time ya got here!" He let go of our embrace and smiled at me.

Louis and Bill shook his hand, both offering kind words. Francis merely half-smiled. I scowled at him for that. While the guys were busy 'catching up' (On God knows what) I took the opportunity to drink his features in.

He _had _changed from the last time I saw him. It had only been about two weeks ago and seeing him now, he looked startlingly and noticeably different. The most obvious feature was that he'd bulked up. Muscles crawled on every edge of his arms and legs, and he looked considerably larger in his frame. His soft skin was no longer pasty or well, dirty (it was the constant nuisance we were accustomed to…) but it was incredibly tanned from a regular exposure to sunlight.

He looked overwhelmingly healthy, his face lit up like Christmas when he saw us and I couldn't get his clear blue eyes out of my mind. Had the medical team given him vitamins? Was CEDA recruiting their own personal army with all of the remaining survivors?

Okay, maybe that last thought _was _a little over the top. But I couldn't help think it.

Ellis' laugh derailed me from my thoughts. I looked up into his face and smiled. Francis caught my eyes and gave me a strange look. What's his problem now? Ellis will always be a friend.

Heavy emphasis on _friend._

"Zoey, you okay there?" Ellis said, waving his hand in my face to grasp my attention.

I slapped his arm (which did hurt by the way…) "It's just so good to see you! Where are the others?" I asked, confused as to why they hadn't all been together. Then, I immediately regretted my words. What if something had happened to them? Shit.

"They're all good. I'm purty sure Nick and Coach are in the gym. Rochelle's probably in the tent. She doesn't come out very much." He warned, fumbling with the edge of his blue cap.

I took the warning seriously. "Why? Has something happened?" I asked.

"Naw, she just hasn't adjusted well in here yet. Everythin' still seems a little scary, but ya get used to it eventually." He smiled warmly, cheeks flushed as he stared at me.

"So what did you mean before? When you said not many people were able to make it here?" I asked, curious.

He hushed me as soon as the words left my mouth and covered my mouth with his hand. "Watch what ya say around here, Zo. The folks here might have security cameras around. They can't know that _we_ know." He still hadn't removed his hand.

"Looks like you might cause a scene with your hand on her mouth like that. I suggest you take it off." Francis stepped up from the seats and dragged me away from him.

"Francis!" I warned. But he hardly seemed to notice. He couldn't keep his suspicious eyes off Ellis. Will men ever act normal around me again?

"Naw, he's probably right. Take a seat. I got a lot to tell y'all." He motioned for me to sit first, and I stumbled down next to Francis with Ellis opposite me. "So I heard these two doctors talkin' in the examination room when we first arrived. Apparently, the place was _filled_ with people. Hundreds of men, women and even children and babies all sent here for safety. But they couldn't contain the virus, not even in a remote place like this one. Eventually, one would get sick, then another, and another, until almost everyone had either been killed or re-evacuated."

"So even people who had been evacuated here still contracted the Green Flu?" Louis asked.

"You betcha. With the virus in the atmosphere around them, there was no way an evacuation site could contain it."

"That's awful." Bill grimaced. Finally, his mind was off those cigarettes.

"Yeah, sure is. They also said this place was evacuated _five_ times. Those that kept arriving would infect those who hadn't come into contact with the flu. The cycle would jus' continue all over again."

"So how is it we're sitting here now?"

"The Docs went on to say that people like us – the survivors that _had_ fought their way here were immune. Yes, we still carry the disease, and apparently, we _do_ have the disease, but it doesn't make us sick, or mutate our bodies into the ones we've seen."

I found it difficult to understand what he was saying. "Look, as long as we're immune, that's all I'm taking from this." I said simply.

Ellis and Louis laughed. Bill was preoccupied eyeing the cafeteria ladies and their cigarettes. Francis simply stared at Ellis. I chose to ignore it, feeling sympathy for Ellis at having been gawked at like that.

"What about the Docs then? Or CEDA? They're all carriers of the infection too then?" Apparently Louis understood perfectly what Ellis had been saying. He was a smart, office bitch.

"I'm purty sure most of 'em would be carriers – havin' been subjected to cleanin' and examinin' the other survivors. But I wouldn't be surprised if some of 'em are still waiting to turn. Then we're in trouble."

"Then what?" I asked, perplexed with what he had to say.

"Then we gotta be prepared to fight back, again. We ain't treatin' this like no holiday. We're just waitin' for the time until it starts all over again. Then, we'll be ready."

All of us sat silently by the table, considering the information we'd been given. "Do you think it's going to happen all over again? That we'd be forced to live through it, and fight for our lives a second time?" I didn't want to hear his answer, even though I already knew what it would be.

"Sorry to say it, but yeah. This place ain't safe no more. We're probably better off livin' out _there_ than in here. But once the moment comes, we'll keep preparin' ourselves, just as you folks should."

"What do you think? Would you be willing to do something like that again?" I asked, turning to look at Francis.

He looked down at me worriedly. At first, I thought it was because he was nervous about fighting the zombies again. But I was wrong; he was scared for my safety. "As much as I hate to say it, Zo, I agree with Ellis. We gotta expect the unexpected, darlin'."

My heart lurched to a stop. I couldn't believe that after all these weeks fighting for salvation, _this_ was what we were subjected to. There was a slight possibility that this place could become overrun if certain people who hadn't been affected by the Flu were to come into contact with us. Now that I thought of it, isolation was definitely the best means to ensure that nothing would happen, that we could keep this place safe.

But what if more people arrived? What if, by some chance, there were still survivors out there, trying to fight their way here? I wouldn't be surprised if there were. After all, we couldn't be the only ones to have done so. And we weren't. Ellis' team had arrived shortly before us. Who knew how many others were still trying to reach safety.

But they didn't know what they were getting themselves into…

A booming laugh was heard behind me, which snapped me from my thoughts. Nick and Coach appeared before us, towels hanging from their shoulders – all worked out from the gym, apparently. Coach laid eyes on us first.

"Well, howdy y'all!" _Phew._ Looks like Coach had also forgiven me for my previous actions. I flinched from the thought. Nick, on the other hand, simply stared at us with a smirk on his face.

Right, so still a bastard then. Got it.

"Good to see you, Coach and Nick!" Louis trekked up to them with his hand outstretched, before they all joined us on the seats.

"Hey cupcake." Nick winked, sitting opposite Francis who glared daggers into Nick's head.

"Hi Colonel." I answered dryly. He lifted his mouth into a smile.

"Stop with the Colonel business, _princess_." He glared back at Francis, emphasising the last word.

"I'll stop once you stop with cupcake, smartass." I replied. He smirked at me again. I faced my attention towards Coach instead. "What's with all the muscles, boys? I feel out of shape!" I joked. They all laughed, all except Nick who shrugged.

"Just need a good ol' work out every now and then. Y'all should go. The gym's great." Coach answered.

"I wouldn't mind actually." Francis added. He flexed his right arm, the muscles ripping intensely near my face.

Boys and their jealousy issues. _Everything_ had to be _bigger_.

"So how long have you all been here?" Bill asked, finally taking his eyes off the cafeteria ladies. He was still itching for that damn cigarette!

They all thought for a moment. "Two weeks?" Coach answered. Ellis scrunched up his eyebrows in thought.

"I think it's been three." He replied.

"And you trust this place? You trust the people?" Bill asked.

They shifted uncomfortably in their seats, all feeling uneasy. So they still felt uncomfortable even being here for three weeks? Shit, I was in need of a miracle.

"They're nice people…" Ellis started.

"They're fucked. The lot of them. Have you seen the Doc with the glasses? He's a freak." Nick added.

Angus, I thought. I giggled to myself.

"They don't let you get to know them. They're all stiff and look at us weird, sure. But ultimately, they're here to repair the damage caused by the apocalypse and were happy enough to take us in with their hospitality." Coach finished.

Bill grumbled, taking this all in. But why would he? What did it matter to us how they acted?

With all of these uneasy feelings around me, they only conjured up nerves within me. The unease was infectious.

Suddenly, I didn't want to be here any more. I could feel my breathing pick up its pace, and I felt the blood drain out of my face. This all happened too fast. I didn't think I was ready for this type of lifestyle. Truthfully, I didn't think I could cope in any normal lifestyle again.

The apocalypse had changed me. Changed the person I once was. I didn't appreciate anything or anyone back then. My life was in shambles, college was a bust, and my life revolved around horror films. I never appreciated my family. I ignored my parents' divorce and acted as if it never happened, all the while thinking none of it was really happening.

For once in my post-apocalyptic life, I was scared. Scared of this horrible place. Scared of the vibe it emitted, of the sickening ambience it produced. I was scared of sleeping alone, scared of the dark and scared of life.

But most frighteningly, I missed my home. I missed the smell and the sounds. I missed my room – which was truly my home. I missed my parents. My loving, erratic mother who put up with my boring lifestyle. My caring father, who wasted thousands on a college I wasn't seriously attending.

I would never see them again. I would never see home again. I would never be home again.

And that was the final straw.

I leapt from the seats and sprinted out of the room before any of my tears spilled down my cheeks. With blurred vision, I ignored the shouts from behind me and found clarity in the one place I wanted to be alone. I stepped into the female bathroom, certain that none of the boys would be able to reach me here.

The tears came easily, flooding my face and pouring into my dirty jacket. My own stench was finally getting the better of me, but I had no energy to remove it. I simply sat by the shower wall and cried myself out. Because after this, there should be no more pain, after I cried all of my bleeding emotions out, there would be none left to harm me. None to make me regret all my decisions. None to make me lose my sanity.

Maybe ten minutes had passed – maybe an hour. I had no clue. There was no way to tell. No clocks. No windows. No freedom. There was nothing in this place. There was no life to build in this institution. This was not a home.

With all of my jumpy thoughts, I distracted myself by taking a hot shower. I removed my clothes, the ones I'd worn on my summer vacation at home from college. The last I'd worn since my normal lifestyle. Grabbing at a sponge and lathering it with soap, I scrubbed at the dried dirt embedded into my skin. I scratched as much of the blood off as I could, even drawing my own blood from how sharp my nails had become. But there was so much dirt and grime. So much blood and death. I scrubbed and scrubbed, trying to remove my current layer of skin.

That was my final distraction, gone. I'd scrubbed so hard, that my skin was desperately pleading with me not to touch it anymore. It was burning with hate at what I'd done to it. At least now, it was clean. I was clean. I plunged down onto the warm tiles, sitting naked in the bathroom, my depression pressing down on me, threatening my capacity to breathe.

For the second time that afternoon, I cried. I didn't know what was the matter with me. Was this my brain telling me that I was insane? Had I finally lost my sanity?

I wouldn't have been surprised if I did. Because after what my eyes had seen and heard – it was enough to scar me for life. I was done with it. Finished with violence. No more horror movies. No more zombies. No more guns. This was the last straw. I would build myself back up. I would become the Zoey I once was. Not the Zoey the apocalypse had changed me into. I was done with it all.

And just when I thought I was alone, I heard a voice.

"Zoey?" It was familiar, alright.

"Rochelle." I whispered. In a way, I didn't want to face her. I was scared she'd still reject me for what I'd done to them. But her coming in here had to mean something, right?

She found me then, clutching at my shivering body on the tiled floor. Her face softened as she wrapped me in a thick towel. She joined me on the wet floor and laid her arm around my shoulder, rubbing my back comfortingly.

"Do you wanna talk?" She asked.

I shrugged, unable to think of anything to say. "It was just the final straw, y'know?"

She nodded. "I know." She left it at that. We sat there in the silence of the bathroom – the void that reminded us that this was our life. Loneliness. Limits. I nearly choked on a cry.

"It happened to me too." She said. I had no clue what she meant by that, but she continued talking to relieve my confused expression. "As soon as we arrived, I felt detached. Not even the boys could make me feel better. I wanted to leave. I still do. This place… there's no warmth, no hope for a future. It's not a home." I liked her choice of words.

"I feel the exact same way." I whispered. "I feel like an inconsiderate asshole. I neglected my parents' desires for me to be happy. I never appreciated the life I was living, until I lost it. And now, it's too late to get it back. It's the only thing I want most in the world."

She tugged on me tightly when I began shaking again. I couldn't help my rocking spasms. She put up with me crying for a hell of a lot of time. And for that, I was grateful.

"Thank you." I whispered. Suddenly, lights flashed on in the bathroom. The light was startlingly bright and glary. "Wh–"

"Dinner's served." Rochelle cut me off. I wasn't hungry anyway. I didn't want to leave the bathroom. "I'll be back in a minute. I promise." She left then, probably for dinner, to which I didn't mind. She had to eat. I'd kept her in here for a while.

I sat in the silence of the room, surprisingly comfortable for the first time since being here. My emotions had bled out of me during my afternoon. There was nothing left to cry about. I thought of how I'd suddenly left the boys. My thoughts automatically skipped to Francis. I just wanted him to think I was okay. I hated to worry him.

The doors to the bathroom opened then, and I almost gasped at being caught off guard. But it was only Rochelle as she returned with clothes.

I smiled to her. "Don't know what I'd do without you, Rochelle." I slipped on the jeans and rolled them up so they wouldn't appear too long and then put on a black t-shirt.

"Honey, I'm just happy to have another female here with me. It's been weird sharing a room without the guys." It clicked that Rochelle and I could share a tent, and I was relieved of all my previous emotions as I pulled her in for a violent hug. At least I would have someone to keep me company… and sane.

"We should get going. Francis is waiting for you." She giggled and led me out of the bathroom. "They're in the cafeteria."

She must have known I was itching to see him. I gave her another hug with a muffled thank you before sprinting off to find Francis, knowing that I would find comfort and happiness in his arms. He saw me then, worried at how I would appear, but my whole face pulled up into a grin and I bolted for his arms.

I was home.

"I love you so much." I said, in between kisses. "I'm sorry for leaving like that." He hadn't had a chance to say much, considering I'd be kissing him one minute, and muttering a thousand words the next.

Nick whistled at our scene and I automatically pulled back from Francis, somewhat disgusted by having Nick watch us like a hawk. "Fuck you, Colonel Sandars." I muttered under my breath.

"What'd you say, cupcake?"

Rochelle hit him over the head before I had a chance to reply.

"Ow." He replied, sarcastically.

...Prick.

* * *

By the time it was ten o'clock (or so I thought) I was ready for bed, exhausted by the events of the day. Rochelle showed me around the main group of tents and allowed me allocation to any bed I wanted. It was a shame I couldn't share with Francis.

"What if I snuck into his tent?" I asked.

She laughed. "I'm sure they've got surveillance around here. But it's worth a try."

I'd risk anything for him, so I took it as an opportunity. Rochelle watched my expression change and concluded that I'd be risking my stay here tonight.

After preparing ourselves for bed, we bid goodnight and lay in the darkness of the tent. It was strange, I admit, not hearing the steps of aimless feet, the gurgle of stomachs or the growls of the infected. I had grown so accustomed to it, that it seemed normal and routine.

Except it wasn't. It was only silent. Apart from Rochelle's soft snores in the corner.

Despite my exhaustion, I couldn't fall asleep. Was I an insomniac now? God, I hoped not. I loved my sleep. Just when I thought I was reaching unconsciousness, a creak split into the tent and I sat upright in my bed. A shadow appeared at the door of our tent, and I watched it as my heart pounded in my chest.

Do I wake up Rochelle? Was this a normal procedure? Was it CEDA checking to see if everyone was sleeping? Was it a zombie? Who was it? Why are my thoughts rambling so much that I'm not paying attention?

Just then, a sliver of light entered our tent as the zipper of our door was sliding open.

_What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?_

"Zoey?" It whispered.

I backed up then, not recognising the voice. I considered not replying and waited for the person to leave.

"Zoey?" The voice was louder this time.

"Francis?" I guessed. The voice laughed, and stepped inside. My heart raced at the thought of Francis being alone in here with me. Well, partly alone. At least Rochelle wasn't awake. I made my way towards him and kissed his cheek, linking my arms around his neck. Just when I met his lips with mine, I realised something was wrong.

I pushed him away from me and tried to grab at _anything_ to defend myself. This wasn't Francis. He was much shorter, and a little less bulky. _Shit, _I thought.

"Whoa, whoa, it's me!" The voice whispered harshly, trying not to wake Rochelle.

"WHO?" I almost shouted, desperately trying to attach the voice with a face.

"It's Ellis, silly." He replied, laughing.

Oh my God. "You idiot!" I stumbled up to his figure and slapped his arm. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I hissed.

"I just wanted to see how long it would take ya to realise it wasn't Francis." He laughed again.

I poked him in the chest, "And what would you have done if I kissed your lips instead? Or pulled you to my _bed_?"

He laughed harder, covering his mouth with his hands to conceal the noise.

I had enough and pushed him out of the room. But he steadied himself and caught my arm. "I wouldn't have followed ya." He said, referring to the bed scene.

_Sure you wouldn't have…_

"I would have realised sooner anyway." I said. "You're not as big as Francis."

"I'm plenty big. I got me some good, hard, strong muscles, Zo. I'm probly bigger than him!" He chuckled.

"Yeah, I doubt that." I yawned, trying to keep myself awake. "Whadayawant?" I mumbled.

"I just wanted to talk. Ya seemed upset earlier and I was wondering if there was anythin' on your mind?"

I sighed. "I'm fine now. You don't need to worry about me anymore." I emphasised the entire sentence so he got the picture.

I had no clue whether he realised it or not, but he came inside anyway and sat on my bed. "Did ya get those messages I left on the walls?" he asked.

It took me a minute to realise what he was talking about, and then my mind scooted over to the messages he'd scrawled on the safe room walls. I hadn't thought about them since I last saw one. "Oh. Yeah. Um, thanks for that. I was actually relieved you put them up there." I replied.

"How come? Help ya a lot did they?"

"Well, yeah I guess. But… I was relieved to hear that you didn't hate me. The fact that you left those messages helped my sanity, I guess." I joined him on the bed, sitting a significant way away.

"I never hated ya, Zo. You're still forgiven in my books. And I'm purty sure everyone else has too." He said, referring to Rochelle.

I looked over at her sleeping figure and relaxed. I was so grateful for her. "Yeah, I think so." I smiled.

"So watcha wanna talk about?" He asked, sitting cross-legged on my bed, almost as if he were a kid ready for his parent to tell him a story.

I made a face. "Listen Ellis…" I was going to ask for him to leave, considering that I hadn't slept since the chopper ride, but I thought about everything he'd done for us. For me, too, and I couldn't let him go like that. I was being the selfish one here.

I sighed. "Okay, listen up. Cause I'm about to tell you something important and I need you to believe me." I couldn't believe I was about to tell him my deepest secret. Well, _our_ deepest secret. My guys were in on it too.

He sat up, excited. Almost like a puppy expecting a treat. "Oh, this is gonna be good!" He clamped his hands together and waited for me to speak.

"A few weeks ago when –"

"Aw, man I'm so excited!" He interrupted me, and started rocking himself, anxiously waiting what I was going to say.

"Ellis, this is important. I need you to relax!" I almost laughed at him.

"Okay, okay. I'm all ears!" He really was, because he finally fell silent.

I spent my time thinking of how I was going to tell him everything about the special infected we encountered. I started from when I first saw him, and continued the story from there. I was sure to tell him everything, and hoped that I remembered the details. This would be the second time I'd be telling the story; I was hoping a third wasn't rapidly approaching…

"And then… he was human. It was like my blood mixed in with his was able to counteract the infection. His skin became creamy, his eyes were still glassy, but hey, the dude was dead, what else could you expect? But other than that, he wasn't a zombie anymore. Freaky mind blow or what?" I laughed.

I thought he'd fallen asleep because he remained so silent, but I heard his sharp intake of breath, his voice filled with surprise and amazement. "… No friggin way…"

* * *

**A/N: Hey y'all! Another chapter down, another... few to go, don't know how much exactly, but quite a few. So stay tuned!**

**Thank you to those who have stuck with this story from the beginning, I realised a few days ago that I've almost been on Fan-Fiction for a year and I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of peeps to read and critique my work. As always to my reviewers: Linkin Park 110, The Shining Freak, XxLadyChaosxX, baby-kachuba, Anna-Selene-Darkness and xAme-chan thanks so much for your awesome words!**


	22. Fights and Faults

"So… so he was human? He was brought back to life?"

I hesitated before answering. "Well, he wasn't exactly brought back to life, per se." Ellis' face fell. "He was still technically…dead."

"But he was human again, wasn't he?" Ellis asked.

"Without any doubt." I answered truthfully.

"This is amazing, Zo! Do ya know what this means? We can cure everybody! The infected will have no chance!"

He was just like me, I thought. I jumped to this exact conclusion without thinking about the consequences or the 'how's and 'why's. I didn't even consider any precautions, or have any doubts as to how it would all work. I hadn't even thought of a means by which this could all happen. "It's not that easy, Ellis." I giggled, despite myself. He reminded me of myself.

"Well it can't be too difficult. We'd have CEDA's help and the Docs can help with the blood testing."

"Even so, have you considered the means as to how we're going about this? I wouldn't even have enough blood to give a state, Ellis. I'd be drained dry by then!"

He flinched at my words, but continued on. "Yeah, but –"

I cut him off. "Have you thought about the precautions of this? How are we supposed to mix the blood samples without any accidents or injuries? Do you really expect the infected to willingly walk through here so they can become human again?"

"Okay, so maybe I thought ahead, but –"

It was all spilling out of me at this point. "And what if it doesn't work out? What if this weird blood exchange was just once in a life time event? What if it was just some strange coincidence? How would we even _capture_ the rare infected man?"

"But Zoey –!"

"No buts, Ellis. Even if this infection is cured, what are we going to do if there's a second outbreak? We can't guarantee a green light to the infection entirely. People could get sick again; this whole apocalypse would just repeat itself. How can we guarantee we'll live through it a second time? First time was a fluke for all of us. And… I don't know if I could go through that again…"

"Okay, okay! I getcha Zo! I totally understand! But I can't help but feel excited! I can't help but feel that this will prove wonders for the world! We can't just give up without a fight, even if we don't fully understand the situation."

"We?" I emphasised, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, we! We'll be with ya every step of the way. We're gonna help you get this project goin' as soon as possible. I can prolly get a few words in with the military. They've known us for a little while longer. It doesn't hurt to try."

"Ellis, I can't let you do that. I'll only get you guys into more danger. I couldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you guys. Especially Rochelle…" I stared over at her sleeping figure across the room. I couldn't go through her hating me again.

"Rochelle will understand. If it means so much to ya, we'll keep her outta this. But Coach, Nick and I will be with ya every step of the way. We ain't backing down from this!"

I admired his strength and cooperation in agreeing to help us. And even though we needed the help, I feared for their lives. I couldn't have that on my conscience. "We'll see, Ellis." I sighed, exhaustion suddenly hitting me like a bite to the neck.

"You get some rest, Zoey, darl. I'll go talk to Commander Tokarski first thing in the morning."

Tokarski? Who the hell was that? Sure, I'd only been here a day, but I hadn't ever learnt a name from anyone. I took a blatant guess. "You mean Receding Hairline?" I giggled to myself again before collapsing against the pillow.

I felt Ellis rise from my bed and leave the tent as sleep almost caught me with every passing second. But I felt his soft, warm lips brush against my forehead. Too exhausted to shove him away, I finally let sleep catch me with Ellis' last words sounding in my ear. "I'll always be here for you."

* * *

"Morning sunshine!" Francis beamed at my arrival, his skin gleaming clean, but still heavily bruised and scratched.

"Morning to you. You're looking mighty fine today." I winked and joined the group at a cafeteria table. "What's for brekky?" I asked, my stomach rumbling impatiently.

"Bacon and eggs." Rochelle said in between bites. "So good." She took another.

"I think what Rochelle's trying to say is that you should go get some, Zoey." Louis chuckled.

I smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good to me." I was about to rise from the table when Francis caught my hand and pulled me onto his lap.

"You sleep good?" He nuzzled his face into my hair and sighed contentedly.

I met my lips against his and snuggled into his chest. "Pretty well, actually. No dreams."

Ellis caught my eyes across the table, and immediately shifted his gaze towards the wall behind me. I bit my lip, reconsidering his feelings. He'd always been a close friend, but I knew there were always feelings from his perspective. Sure, he was handsome. Well, hell, he was attractive. But I was with Francis now. And I was happy.

Francis would do anything for me. He'd risk his life just to see me alive. Even without Bill or Louis' help, I knew during my dark times, that he would have still continued his search to finding me. And he wouldn't give up until he was dead, himself. But Ellis?

Ellis was exactly the same. He was giving up his post-apocalyptic life just to help me cure the world. Perhaps he was doing it to see the world as the peaceful place it once was. Perhaps he really wanted to help the infected people find themselves again. But I knew the underlying fact was that he specifically wanted to help _me_ and to win my affections. Or was I just being selfish?

I shook the thought off. Ellis realised I was still watching him once his eyes caught mine a second time, and I saw his cheeks flush. I was the first to turn my gaze this time.

Louis, Rochelle and Bill were finishing off their breakfast. I ignored Ellis' stare and focused on Nick who was hastily scrawling on an A3 sheet of paper. Curiosity and suspicion automatically picked up.

"What are you doing, Nick?" I asked.

He looked up at my blankly. "What does it look like, honey? I'm doing business. You keep it down." He replied back.

I glared at him and instead asked Francis. "What's he doing?"

"Go grab some food, cupcake. We men are in the middle of something." Nick said.

I was about to cuss back at him when Francis lunged across the table and grabbed the sheet from Nick's hands.

"Hey, man, what the fuck?" he shouted.

Francis studied the paper before narrowing his eyes. His glare turned towards me. "Is this what I think it is?" He glowered.

I shrank back from his menacing stare. "I – what?" I went to grab the sheet from Francis, but he moved it from my reach. "Hey! Francis?"

"Name: Killer Slash." Francis read from the sheet. "Abilities: Witch claws, Smoker tongue, Hunter pounce. Unknown: Boomer bile. Tank strength. Spitter goo. Charger slam. Jockey control."

Understanding finally hit me. Shit. "Francis, let me explain." I said calmly.

He ignored me and continued. "Precautions: How to capture infected. How to use blood safely."

"Francis." I said more sternly.

His voice only grew louder and sarcastic. "Consequences: end of the world!" Nick lunged from his place and ripped the paper from Francis' hands. Francis simply ignored him and turned his wrath upon me.

"You told them?" He shouted, fury all over his face. I could see a vein in his forehead bulge.

I wasn't going to let him intimidate me. "Yes. I did. It's my choice whether I want to tell people or not."

"I thought this would just be kept between us!"

"Francis, she was smart to warn the others." Bill cut in, lighting a cigarette. Wait, cigarette? I turned to scold at him to remove it when Francis' shouts distracted me.

"We don't need to warn other people! We don't need help! We can do this ourselves!"

"Hey! I didn't tell them so they could unwillingly risk their lives! The choice was up to them! If they want to help us, they can!" I shouted back, poking him in the chest with every sentence.

He grabbed my wrist, sending a shockwave rocking through my body. He flinched, and in that moment, I was certain he'd felt it too. His voice dropped to an icy whisper. "The more people know, the higher the chance that someone might tell on us. We can't trust everyone." Francis' glare shifted upon Nick.

"But you can trust us." Ellis' strong voice caught the attention in the room as everyone turned to stare at him. He folded his arms across his chest and stood imposingly. "We wouldn't go bitchin' to CEDA or the military about meddling with your plans. They want this world cured just as much as we do."

Francis scoffed. "Hardly." He whispered. I could feel his anger gradually disseminate. That was a good sign. His lack of faith wasn't.

"What's it to you anyway? The world doesn't revolve around you, Francis!" I shouted at him, rage burning my blood. Who was he to act like a selfish bastard?

His cold, hard stare met my own. When he realised I wasn't backing down he let go of my wrist and briskly left the room.

Regret floored me and threatened to crush my airways. My face drained of blood. "Francis, wait!" I choked out. I started to follow him when Bill caught a hold of my arm.

"Let him go." He sighed and took a drag. "Let him be alone for a while."

I collapsed into the seat next to Bill. Rochelle glanced at me sympathetically. "I'll go talk to him." Without a reply, she left the room after Francis. Who knew they were so close? Jealousy clutched at my heart, and for a split moment, I finally realised just how Francis feels when I'm with Ellis. I suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.

"Excuse me." I forced myself to leave the room and followed a hallway passed the gym and out into the yard. Heat blasted onto my face, a slight flush from the wind crawled along my skin. I leant against the walls of a brick patio and thought about the fight we'd just had.

Tears slowly trickled down my face as I realised this was the second time this week that we'd fought. They weren't silly things to worry over, either. First, was my mistake in thinking Francis didn't trust me. And second? What really happened in there?

Was Francis really against the idea of having them help us? Was it that big of a deal? Or was his jealousy getting in the way this time? Did Francis feel threatened by Ellis' inclusion into our plan? Did he seriously think I would choose Ellis over him?

All of these questions and thoughts tumbled through my head as I continued to let the tears fall. I hadn't felt more out of place. Was I perhaps leading Ellis on? Had Francis noticed that? Had Rochelle?

And what was with Rochelle's sudden urge to console Francis? Was she developing feelings for him? Was she just that good of a friend? Why was I suddenly the one feeling uneasy?

Why am I thinking up more questions?

A figure stood on my right, and I almost skipped out of my skin when I realised it was only Ellis.

Ellis. Of course it was. It was always Ellis.

* * *

**Ellis POV**

I watched her figure tremble slightly in the light breeze. I didn't want to disturb her, but I knew I also wanted to make her feel better about her fight with Francis. I cared about her too much to see her hurt.

I walked closer, her figure appearing more beautiful up close. I didn't stop until I was right next to her. Without even thinking, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "He overreacted."

"I feel bad for what I said." She said simply.

"You shouldn't. It was your right whether you wanted to tell anyone or not." I sat down beside her, our arms almost touching. I couldn't help but feel a vibrant energy between us. _Keep calm, Ellis. Keep calm._

"Still. It was only supposed to be between us. Sure, he could have accepted other help, but I didn't have to snap at him like that."

"Don't blame yourself for what happened in there. He'll come 'round." I nudged her with my arm, trying to lighten the situation. I felt my skin blaze under her touch, and I shyly looked away. She was too pretty to be real.

"You didn't have to come outside." She said lightly.

I gave myself a few seconds to answer. What else was I supposed to say rather than admit the obvious? I liked her too much for my own good. I bit my lip, considering what to say. "I wanted to. Had to see how you were copin' too." She turned to smile at me. Her green eyes contrasted brilliantly against her hair, and I couldn't help but grin back. It was a sight to see, I'll give ya that.

"Well, thanks." She was still smiling, despite the fight she had with Francis only moments ago.

I didn't get her sometimes. She could be angry at you one minute, and the next she's all smiling and happy. Is that how love works? Is it a love hate relationship?

Did she even know what love was? Heck, she's still so young, much younger than me, and here she was claiming she was in love. In love with a guy who was much older than her. But did that matter to either of them?

Would she have gone for me, if it weren't for Francis? I caught her stares occasionally. I knew she admired me too. She just wouldn't admit it. Sometimes, I wish I was like Nick. Obvious. Uncaring. To the point. I could just tell her how much I liked her, and ask her to choose me over Francis.

But I wasn't Nick. And that would probably result in several unhealable injuries for me if Francis ever found out. I couldn't do that to a man I respected.

Or could I? My mind floated back to last night, being in the tent with her. She'd almost kissed me. God, she was so close! And the smell of her skin… intoxicating. She was amazing. If only my dreams of her added to reality.

Gawd… she was so pretty.

"What are you looking at?" She asked, amusement clearly on her face. There was something else there too. Wariness. I couldn't blame her.

_Your beautiful eyes, _I wanted to answer back. But I knew I couldn't. "Nothin'." I smiled.

She leaned closer, closing the space between us. My heart hitched into rapid beats. _Shit, shit, shit! She's so close!_

Her breath blew into my face. "Thanks for the chat, Ellis. But I'm gonna go see Francis. I have to apologise." She stood from her spot, and immediately my heart sank. _Damn, I was so, so close to her! _

"Sure thing, Zo. See ya." I didn't turn to watch her leave. Instead, I laid my head into my hands and sighed. It was lucky she had already closed the door, or she would have heard me say I loved her.

* * *

**Francis POV**

The second time this week. Another stupid, pointless fight. Although I wasn't the one to initiate it the first time, I knew that despite that, I had blown everything.

My attitude got the better of me again, and I hadn't even thought of the consequences of opening my damn mouth. I was a fucking idiot to shout at her like that, to see her scared of me only broke my heart. I never meant to hurt her. I never meant to scare her.

"I'm a fucking idiot!" I punched at the wall of the tent. It shook violently from the force of my punch, but still managed to stay upright.

Everything was my fault these days. I feel like I couldn't take care of her as well as I should be. Zoey means everything to me. I feel like I can't fulfil her needs. I don't feel worthy of her love.

We were two very different people. I was the brash bastard. She was the innocent one. And I feel with every fight that I'm disappointing her and sending her into constant waves of pity. It wasn't fair on her. She doesn't deserve to be with someone as stupid as me. She deserves better. She deserves… Ellis.

Fucking Ellis. That brat would treat her better than I ever could.

"Francis?"

I was shoved from my thoughts from the voice at the door. "Shit, Rochelle. You scared me." I was never caught off guard. Why was I letting these sissy feelings get the better of me?

"Thought you might like to talk about some things." She said.

I sighed. "Not really."

She stared at me for a moment before joining me on the bed. "Don't be such a guy. I know you regret what happened in there."

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter, Rochelle. I don't think she'll forgive me for this. Sorta feels like the last straw, you know?"

"I doubt Zoey's feeling like that. You know she loves you."

"But is it enough?"

She gave me a hard look. "Are you doubting her love for you?" she asked.

I was stumped on what to say. I knew Zoey loved me. I believed her when she said it. But I didn't think it was going to last much longer. Not at the rate I kept snapping at everyone. "I don't know." I said, not bothering to open up to her.

She sighed, but I could sense the amusement in her voice. "You're such a messed up man." She leant closer and draper her arm around my shoulder comfortingly. An old image flashed through my mind. The last time Rochelle had placed her arms around me was when Zoey walked in. When she was…

"Maybe I should talk to her." I can't lose her like I lost her that time. If she hadn't come back, I don't know what I would have done with myself. I don't know what I would do now.

"Realisation finally hit you, huh?" She laughed. "Want me to go get her?" she asked, standing up.

I shook my head. "Nah, I need to go see her myself."

"No need." Zoey's voice came from the door. I shot up from the bed and studied her closely. If she was still mad, I wouldn't force her to talk to me. She could belt me and beg for me to ask for forgiveness. And I'd do it. I'd do anything for her.

I didn't even realise Rochelle left the room. All I noticed was Zoey close the distance between us. I frowned, trying to search for any hint of a 'back off' signal. But it seemed she was making her own judgement.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered. I hadn't even known the words came out of my mouth. It all happened without conscience.

A single tear fell down her cheek. I brought her to me instantly and crushed her against me, wrapping my arms around her in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry." I repeated again. I nestled her into my chest and caressed her hair.

She pulled away from me and instead, brushed her lips softly against mine. "I can't stand fighting with you." She breathed. Our noses continued to stay glued together as we regarded each other.

"We're a bunch of losers." I muttered against her mouth. She laughed and kissed me softly again.

"I think you're the loser. I'm the cool one remember?" She giggled. I grabbed her face in between my hands and kissed her back.

"The cool, calculating sex machine. I couldn't ask for anything more." She laughed once more. I picked her up effortlessly and placed her on the bed with me, tightly wrapping her against me. "I hate fighting with you. I never wanted to react like that. I hardly realised…"

"Let's not talk about it." She said. "We'll just move on from it. We'll find a way through with the cure." She wore that determined expression that I loved the most. My toughness caved around her. She could always see my soft side. "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

I stared at her, watching as her fringe collapsed in front of her face, blocking me from seeing the luminescent colours of her eyes, the shape of her soft, wonderful lips. How did I fall so fast in love? Why haven't any other relationships felt this way before?

_She's different from the others. Times have changed. _

Would I still be in a relationship with her under normal circumstances? If life was normal, and I walked into a bar and found her sitting there, would I have talked to her? Wanted to get to know her? Or would I have thought she was much too young? Would I have blatantly missed her and searched for a woman to take home with me?

_Love is irrational. It makes us do stupid things. But in the end, it's all worth it. She's worth it. _

I shook off the thoughts and instead, concentrated on her heartbeat next to mine. "Let's just hope this cure works out. I won't let you get hurt." I said sternly.

"I know." She replied. "I trust you."

* * *

**Zoey POV**

"And you press this if you wanna slow it down." Rochelle instructed, pointing to a small red button located on the treadmill.

"So start, speed up, slow down, ignore this button, and stop?" I confirmed.

"That's it. You'll be a pro in no time." She jumped off my treadmill and motioned for me to step up. She took the treadmill next to mine and began walking at a fast pace. "You should probably start walking first for a warm up, and then you can increase the speed to a light jog if you like."

I nodded, and pressed a green button to start the conveyor in the treadmill. I matched her pace easily after all of the weeks of being physically active (more like exhaustive) and watched the others work out in the room.

We spent most of the day as a group, collating ideas and thoughts into how the cure would work out, and how we would get CEDA or the medical team to help us. My thoughts were highly doubting anybody's help. I didn't think CEDA or the military would listen to what we had to say, and even so, they wouldn't do anything about it. We were finally safe, and that's all they wanted to stick with. I was pretty sure they wouldn't believe us in the first place.

I also finally learned Receding Hairline was in fact, Commander Tokarski from our recent arrival. He was the point of authority and all decisions were taken to him for approval. I highly doubted his help in particular… especially with his dislike towards Francis' attitude. But then again, who ever approved of Francis' attitude?

I glanced over at him and watched as he was lifting weights, admiring how his back muscles shifted with his entire body. Oh boy… it was a sight, alright. Rochelle realised my gradual decrease in movement and caught my attention.

"Wipe that drool off your face! Stop ogling him!" She ordered, increasing the speed on my treadmill.

"I wasn't ogling him!" I huffed, matching my speed with the conveyor. "It's not my fault his muscles show underneath his shirt."

Francis caught sight of us then and gave us a thumbs up. He smiled, and turned away. But before he did, I swear I detected a wink. If he thought he was giving me a show, I'd have to show him what I was made of.

I ignored my laboured breathing and increased the speed to a light run, my legs keeping up with the movement of the conveyor belt beneath me. My muscles screamed at me in protest, but I just pushed them harder and faster, admiring the way my body had no flab. I guess the apocalypse paid off somehow, right?

Ellis caught my eye then, and I realised he had been standing there admiring us for a few minutes. Considering the way I was running now, I was sure I knew exactly who he had been checking out. He turned around then and sat by a weight machine, adjusting the strength of the weights to suit him. I was about to turn away when I saw him remove his shirt, exposing weeks' worth of sculpted muscles along his arms and torso and lightly tanned skin.

He faced Rochelle and I again, but paid us no more attention, and instead focused on lifting the weights with extreme concentration. He'd already flushed a deep red.

I had to admit… Ellis looked _extremely_ good. I fought myself to look away, but my eyes disobeyed me and continually crept over to look at him every now and then.

I increased the speed again and forced my legs faster. I felt no pain (at least not yet) and instead, focused on the endorphins and the ultimate high I was feeling. I hadn't realised just how fast I was going until Ellis stood from the weight machine and stretched, his muscles convulsing underneath his sweat-coated skin. It was enough to distract me.

My muscle pulled too hard on one leg, and not enough on the other. My legs couldn't keep up with the conveyor belt, and I slipped, skinning my legs down the belt before I flew backwards onto my back, breathing haggardly.

My head spun, faces appeared before me, all unrecognisable. I blinked a few times, and tried to re-adjust to the lighting before sitting up.

"Whoa there, girl. Stay down." I heard Rochelle's voice.

"Is she going to be okay?" Oh God, it was Ellis.

"She'll be fine. Just breathe darlin'." And Francis. Lovely.

Moments must have passed before everything came back clear. Faces huddled before me, but I tried to ignore them and focused on sitting up. Francis helped me, but kept me down. A worried expression grew on his face.

"I'm gonna be sick." I felt nauseated. It was the damn running… and probably the stale-tasting sandwich I ate for lunch. But I definitely wasn't feeling good.

That didn't mean I was about to vomit in front of everyone.

"Zo we gotta take you to the med clinic. You've skinned your legs." Ellis said from next to me. I glanced down at my exposed legs as blood trickled down from my knees to my ankles.

Shit. Lots of blood. My legs lost a few layers of skin. I shuddered from the sight. It was too messy. It was only going to make me puke.

"Help me up." I mumbled to no one in particular. My head spun, and I couldn't even think straight.

I think Ellis tried to grab for me, but Rochelle took over. "I'll take her to the clinic. You boys can't go into our section." I heard the amusement in her voice, but said nothing as she led me out of the room.

"Are we there yet?" I mumbled, only making myself more light-headed by watching the constant white and black tiles along the floor.

Rochelle laughed. "Almost."

"I don't feel so good." Rochelle's grip on me tightened.

"You shouldn't have been running so fast." She glanced at me amusedly. "You better not throw up on me."

Ugh, no, she just had to say that. "Stop with the puke word. Getting visual over here." And I was. I could just imagine myself throwing up all over the floor. But I pushed myself further until we rounded the corner. I had no idea where we were going, but she eventually led me passed the medical sign.

It was about time. "Zoey! Great timing. I was just about to come find you about your blood test results." Dora met us in the back room, and she turned around to face the full extent of my injuries. "Oh God! What happened to you?"

Rochelle sat me on the bed and removed my running shoes. "We had a bit of an accident." She said to Dora.

"I can see that. Good thing you got here in time. At least we won't have to amputate your legs." Dora said.

Amputate? Legs? Wait… "_WHAT? Amputate my legs?"_ I shouted, disbelief clearly on my face. I flung myself off the bed, and was immediately put back down.

"Calm down!" Dora said from next to me. "I was joking, Zoey, relax. Just take a lie down for me and I'll get you patched up."

After several flinches later, as well as many used up bandaids, I sat up from the bed and put my shoes back on. "Thanks for that." I said to Dora, who just returned with a clipboard.

"It's my job. Just try not to get into more trouble." She said with a smile. "Are you feeling better now?"

"My head still feels like its throbbing, and I'm scared to try out my legs." I joked.

She laughed. "You'll be fine. Just take it easy for a few hours."

I nodded. "So can I go now?" I asked.

She stared at me for a few seconds. "Actually, I have to talk to you about something important. Would you mind?" She motioned for me to sit by the chairs at the front of the room. I followed her, anxiously expecting something bad.

She sat down by a computer and then turned to face me. "We've had your blood tested for further diseases through a series of clinical trials and observations. I know I've asked this before, but I just need a confirmation, what is your blood type?"

"I'm AB negative." I said uneasily.

She nodded. "At least that's right." She thought to herself for a second.

"What's wrong?" I asked, frightened of her reply. What could possibly be wrong with me now? Had they found out about my blood being a cure? Had they found something else? Something I hadn't planned to expect?

"Nothing is _wrong_." She emphasised the last word, and turned back to her computer screen.

I couldn't contain myself any longer. "Please tell me what's going on!"

She looked up at me and turned her screen so I could see. A slideshow of images revealed a bunch of circles vibrating in a bubble. The show continued, as a red substance was added (no doubt my blood) which was soaked into the bubble, and the circles themselves. After a few seconds, the circles disappeared, leaving the bubble behind empty.

You can tell I'm not a science geek, right? "What does that mean?" I asked, confusion etched on my face.

She smiled, clearly understanding my lack of knowledge in the medical field. "Your blood is able to counter the infection. We've never found anything like it before."

I phrased it differently. "You mean my blood is a cure?"

She laughed outright. "No, there's no proof of that yet. But your blood is able to fight the infection. You are immune to the disease, but you also carry it within you. By carrying the disease, you're able to infect anyone else who normally isn't a carrier. That's how the infection spreads initially. Your blood is unable to mutate with the disease, which is the reason why you are immune."

"So I can never contract the infection?" I asked, still thoroughly confused.

"You can't. But others can." She turned the screen away from me. "Tell me, you've been bitten by an infected before, yes?"

I flinched. "Numerous times."

She nodded. "Then that proves you can't contract the infection."

"There's something you don't know." I mentioned shyly, my face reddening.

Her face turned serious. "What's that?"

"My blood has been mixed in with an infected." I mumbled.

"Mixed in?" She shook her head, "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're trying to say."

For Christ's sake. "I was bitten by an infected, his blood mixed in with my own and it's in my system. There has to be something infected within me, right?"

She looked at me, thoughts spinning through her mind. "Are you sure his blood is in your system?"

"Yeah, pretty sure. " I said, actually unsure. It could have all been a misunderstanding, right?

She could see my uncertainty, but glanced back at her computer screen and watched the slideshow numerous times. "I must admit, you're highly contaminated with the infection."

"Highly contaminated?" I shouted. What did this mean? Was I eventually going to turn into an infected? That couldn't be possible. There was no fucking way…

"It's nothing to worry about, Zoey! You're still immune, whether you like it or not. But your blood appears to be highly contaminated with his blood too. It explains why your blood is able to counter the infection better than others."

"Wouldn't that mean I can become sicker than the others? That I have a higher chance of becoming like them?"

"Not necessarily. Blood doesn't act in normal ways. We still haven't sheathed the wonders that blood can do for the universe or for this infection yet. I don't want you to be concerned thinking you're going to wake up tomorrow morning as one of them. However, you may have noticed certain characteristics are more different than normal."

"What kind of characteristics?"

"You may feel more anger. More primal than you were before. Even animalistic. The infection causes humans to become violent in their actions and extremely hungry for human flesh and blood. Because this man's blood mixed in with your own, you may have just developed a few minor characteristics similar to his. It won't ever control you entirely. It's just something that you'll always have at the back of your mind. It will always be a part of you."

"Dora, I think you're a great scientist, but I'm scared as hell over here. Please just tell me I'll always be immune and that I'll be fine." My voice was shaking. Was it possible I could become like them?

"I'm sorry, Zoey. You will be fine. I can promise you that. Meanwhile we're going to continue testing your blood. We've never encountered anything like it. I hope you don't mind."

I shrugged, clearly not caring about what they do with my blood. As long as I'm the one that's okay. "Sure, whatever."

"Is there anything else you'd like to mention?" Dora asked, her black hair falling in front of her dark eyes.

I considered telling her about the cure. But I wanted more information about my blood first. The more information we have, the less crazy we'd appear. At least, that's what I thought.

"Nah, I think my mind is still trying to understand what you just told me." I said. She laughed and led me out of the room.

"If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me." She winked, waved goodbye and entered the medical room without a second glance.

I stood still for a few seconds, trying to take all of this information in, when I heard voices from around the corner. I had no idea what part of the institution I was in, but curiosity got the better of me as I listened in.

"I think Tokarski's right. This is by far the best plan we've had." A deep, rough voice said.

The other almost sounded childlike, "There's no way you agree with him, is there? We can't allow for this to happen. It's too dangerous!"

This was sounding good. I stealthily lent by the wall and peered around the corner, trying to familiarise the voices to the faces. I was met with a large, cue ball headed man, and… Ellis!

No, I realised. It wasn't Ellis. It was the dude that looked like him from our arrival. He was talking with the other man – the Bald one.

"Dangerous? Son, they're the dangerous ones. We can't let this shit go on much longer." Baldy appeared all for it. Even though I had no idea what they were talking about, I could feel a cloud of anxiety spread over me.

"We can't resort to inhuman behaviour, Ivanov! There might still be survivors out there! What about the guys that came in a few days ago? We can't go through with this plan." Creepy Ellis said.

Ivanov laughed. "Eric, I'm sure they were the last. They were lucky we hadn't initiated this plan earlier, or they'd have been dead. And if there were others… well, they're better off dead anyway. I wouldn't want to fight for my life if I knew I was going to die anyway."

That was harsh. And I was sure we weren't the only ones out there. If I found Rochelle's group, I was sure there were many others out in different states.

"I can't believe you're all for this. We can't let this happen." Eric argued back. Clearly, his inferiority wasn't helping him any.

Ivanov's voice was low and violent. "If Tokarski hears you talking like this, I'm sure he'd like to throw you out with the infected. Don't disobey his orders." He threatened.

Eric shrank back, clearly afraid. He controlled his laboured breathing. "I-I wasn't. But maybe we can just think up something else. We still have time."

"There's no time left. We have to act now." Ivanov said icily. "We're bombing the country whether you like it or not."

…

…

…

Oh, _shit._

* * *

**A/N: Had to put one last chapter up before my final trials for school. (_shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit)_**

**But hope this was enjoyable nonetheless, we finally learn some names and some more yummytastic info. Won't be able to upload until my trials are finished, which is 2-3 weeks :( **

**As always to my reviewers, I write this story for you guys! I love your awesome words! Thanks so much to XxLadyChaosxX, UsernameDerpHerp (love the name btw), The Shining Freak, Anna-Selene-Darkness, baby-kachuba and Linkin Park 110 !**


	23. Behind Closed Doors

"What are you doing out here?" A deep, lightly accented voice caused me to jump against the wall in surprise. Taking in Commander Tokarski's features ignited emotions of fear within me.

"I, uh…" I was stumped on how to reply.

He laughed smoothly. "Yes?" I hadn't noticed before, but his voice had a slight accent that I had been unable to recognise earlier. Was it Hungarian? Or perhaps, Polish? I had no idea, but it was kind of sexy.

"I-I was in the medical clinic." I said softly. Who knew whether he heard me or not, I was too intimidated to say anything.

His immense form stood imposingly before me, rippling muscles bulging out of his black tank top. His shoulder length black hair curled slightly on the ends. I tried not to laugh at his receding hairline.

"The medical clinic is a fair way from here. Continuing in this direction is only going to take you to the men's section." He said, crossing his arms in an intimidating posture.

I took in the new information. "I guess I got a little lost. This place is so huge, it's pretty hard finding a way around it all." I wasn't going to let him see me as some feeble creature. I could stand up to him.

"That's understandable. But it seems you were listening in on an unauthorised conversation."

"What conversation?" I tried to act nonchalant, but I don't think it worked very well.

"I think you know the one I'm talking about." He replied.

I shrugged. "Not really. I couldn't hear much of it."

"So bombing the country sounds like a good plan, then?" He asked, sneering at me like I was an idiot.

I flinched involuntarily. He knew I'd listened in. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's going to happen, whether you like it or not. It's the only suitable plan I've thought of. The country is a mess as it is. We need to take certain measures to ensure the human race lives on after this urban disaster."

"So you were the one to think this up, huh? You really think bombing the country is going to work? Do you really think it's going to help restore peace and civility among the remaining humans? You're crazy!" I was lashing out now, and I couldn't help myself. He didn't realise how stupid he sounded!

He stared me down for several heavy seconds. I thought maybe he'd slap me for acting out of line. Instead, he said. "Follow me."

I didn't have a chance to ask as he turned the immediate corner and briskly walked down the corridor. I had to jog to keep up with his long stride.

I had no idea whether to ask how long this was going to take. After all, my knees were stinging from my embarrassing exercise machine trauma, and I hadn't seen anyone since.

We passed several signs along the institution: the men's medical clinic, a second backyard gym facility (I guessed it was for the military personnel or the doctors), the kitchen and laundry rooms and a rubbish sector.

Before we proceeded towards the doctor's testing rooms, Tokarski led me along a different corridor with blaring red signs along the ceiling. The signs flashed every few seconds: WARNING: ENTERING HAZARDOUS AREA. STAY CLEAR. B-21.

"In here." He motioned for me first, as we took a sudden right into a locker room. Tokarski entered behind me and opened the first locker, revealing doctor cloaks, equipment, gloves and face masks.

He grabbed an entire unopened packet and threw it towards me. "Put these on." He ordered.

Without hesitation, I slipped inside the cold white cloak and covered my hands with the sterilised gloves and lastly, placed the face mask over my mouth. He was ready and waiting to leave, wearing the same equipment I'd just put on.

I didn't ask any questions, as I knew he wouldn't answer them. Anxious, nervous, and extremely worried about what we'd be facing, I followed Tokarski out of the room and watched as he slipped in a security key into the two large secured doors that led to the supposed 'hazardous area'.

His hands latched onto the doors as his muscles pushed them open slightly with his might, before he suddenly stopped. He still faced the doors, but his voice was able to carry back towards me.

"Prepare yourself."

If I wasn't trying to stay strong for the sake of my life, right then, hearing those words, I would have easily fainted.

Without waiting for my reaction, the doors beyond us flew open. I was blinded by the harsh fluorescent light that blared down on us. But my initial reaction hadn't been from seeing the white lights.

It had been from seeing the large, white irises of hundreds of zombies that hungrily turned to face us.

"Oh, shit!" I couldn't help the words that left my mouth. I was left dumbfounded, staring at the faces before me.

I was so sure that I'd left this all behind. That I'd left _them_ behind. But here they were, bashing their fists against the steel bars of their cages, hungrily snarling and biting on their locks. Their screams only added to their intense excitement of seeing edible humans for what seemed like the first time in years.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Tokarski's voice sounded from my right. He walked right up to a cage along the back of the room and stood before it, almost as if he were coaxing the infected to try break out of their cells.

"You're so inhumane." I muttered to myself. The infected behind Tokarski grew severely rampant at his immediate closeness.

"They're the inhumane ones."

Of course he heard me. "They're not the ones threatening to blow up our country."

"They're the ones who started this mess in the first place. It's their fault."

"How can you blame them? This was all because of an outbreak! A sickness! A disease! And here you stand, mocking them, coaxing them on as if they're going to have a feed! You should be ashamed of yourself." I crossed my arms angrily and turned to leave the room.

A vice-like grip caught my arm and pulled me towards him. I knew without a doubt it was Tokarski, he was just that imperceptible and that quick.

"Why do you defend them?" He asked, curiosity on his face as he scanned my own.

I opened my mouth slowly, and then closed it again. "I'm not. I was just saying." I blurted out the first thought that came to mind.

"You're very easy to read. Tell me, you've had experiences with the infected, haven't you?" He let go of my arm, and took two steps away from me, clearing the awkward atmosphere around us.

"Are you really asking me that question after I've had to fight for my life just to get through to this place?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yes."

It was a rhetorical question, but he didn't seem to notice that. Nor my sarcasm, I guess I couldn't help my fluentness.

I was about to reply back when he asked me another. "How long were you out there for?"

How long? It could have been a matter of painful weeks and harsh months, but I had no idea how long we were out there for exactly. It was too long. The length was incalculable. I wasn't counting the days it took for us to reach this place. I was counting the infected we took down just to remain surviving.

"Too long a time. You don't know what it's like out there. You've been locked in here. Sheltered. Untouched. Unbitten." I replied back icily.

"You know, you don't act in a very respectful manner towards your elders."

"There's only one man I respect most, Tokarski. Respect, like trust, is earned, not given."

He stared at me for several heavy seconds, eyeing every emotion plastered on my face. But I wasn't going to show how intimidated I truly was. I was lucky he couldn't hear my heart beat pound against my chest. At least, I knew the infected could.

"I like you." He said. "You could be very useful around here."

I almost laughed in his face. "As what? As a part of CEDA? As a part of your corrupt military?"

He ignored my rudeness and continued to speak as though we were friends. "Yes, you could as a matter of fact. I see potential in you. I see strength and perseverance. We need that around here."

He walked back toward the infected cages, crossing his arms behind his back. I followed him slowly, unsure if my proximity toward the infected would be a good idea. I didn't know how stable those cells were.

"I'd never want to be a part of something like this." I answered truthfully.

"The offer still stands." He turned to look at me then, and I knew in that moment, he sensed there was something I was hiding. It was almost as if he knew my plans.

I drew attention away from me as I thought about our conversation. "You must be a carrier." It was a statement, not a question.

"You seem certain of that."

"Being in such close proximity with them," I pointed towards the infected. "You would have normally turned by now; the diseased particles in the air would have caused the infection within you."

"So perceptive." He smiled, and nodded. "I have been bitten by them. Who hasn't? But it's quite true; the disease does not mutate my blood cells. That goes for many of my workers here. Those that are left are mostly carriers. The small few who aren't, well, that's their concern."

"They could potentially turn and harm someone. You should isolate them to ensure our safety." I said.

Jesus, I sounded like one of them now. What in the world was I doing? And what was he supposed to be showing me? Was it just the infected? Did he know about my plans? Was he expecting I tell him about them?

Was he trustworthy?

"We'll deal with it once the problem comes. We have other issues to deal with."

I raised an eyebrow. "Like bombing the country."

He glared at me then. I was generally surprised he'd put up with my rudeness for this long. He was good, I'll give him that.

"What's your plan then?" he asked.

Bingo! The golden question! He'd finally asked. But did that mean I had to reveal everything I knew? Would he isolate me and test my blood samples differently? What if I didn't agree to it? What if he tortured me into giving him my blood?

_Shit, Zoey! You're thinking about this way too much! Relax. Breathe. Do what's right._

Right. I can't believe it's finally come to this.

"You know." I said. I knew it then. He was only trying to wheedle it out of me. He's known my plan all along. Ellis had gotten to him before me. Ellis had revealed everything.

"Do I?" He asked, raising his own eyebrow mockingly. Stupid, annoying, mockingly ignorant bastar—

"Do tell." He interrupted my thoughts. Good thing I didn't have a weapon with me. I would have blown his head off and thrown it into the cell next to us.

"You know my blood is different." If this was the time to tell him, then this was also the time to change his plans. If I could persuade him of my blood cure, he may adhere to our plans.

"I know your blood is special." He enquired.

"How special?" I asked.

"It is able to counter the infection. But not cure it, yet."

Yet. So he knew it was possible. Good.

"It has cured before. I can prove it to you." I pleaded. _Stay cool, Zoey. Begging him isn't going to win him over. Play it cool._

"We've already tested your blood. There was no means of a cure for it." He concluded smugly.

"That's because you're missing a key component. You need an infected's blood to mix in with mine. Once you have that, test it on an ordinary infected, he'll become human again."

Tokarski faced me completely then, shunned into disbelief. His expression became cold and calculating. He didn't believe me.

"That doesn't make any sense." He finally answered.

"Does any infection make sense?" I remembered Dora's words. "Do you know every wonder that blood can do for the world? Have you seen and experienced what I've been through? No, you haven't. So let me prove it to you. Give me supplies and ammunition. Give me automobiles and weaponry. Give me a chance to prove this to you before you destroy our country."

I was one patriotic son of a gun. The guys would be so proud of me!

But I remembered Tokarski's stubborn attitude and persona. This wasn't going to be an easy task to have accepted, especially by him.

"Why do you need such supplies? We have hundreds of infected here to administer your tests."

"The infected I need my blood to mix with is by no means ordinary. He's a special infected. He–"

"You mean like a Smoker? Or a Jockey?" He asked.

_Jockey? Huh? _"N-No, not like them. I'm sure there are still hundreds of those special infected. The one I'm referring to is one of a kind. Something no one has ever encountered before."

"What in the world–"

The doors beyond us flew open to Ivanov and Eric. Ivanov was the one who interrupted us. "Commander Tokarski, Sir, there's an issue we need to address to you."

Tokarski flapped his hand impatiently. "It can wait."

"No Sir, it's in accordance to B-21."

Was that some secret code they used around here? I had no idea. All I knew was that I shouldn't be listening in on their conversation.

Tokarski looked back at me and searched my face. For what? For hints of the truth? For hints of falseness? I wouldn't have known. His jaw clenched as he turned toward Ivanov.

"Meet me in my office in five. I must return Zoey to the cafeteria." He turned toward me again. "We wouldn't want her running into further trouble."

Ivanov nodded and pushed Eric out of the room. "Right, Sir." He left.

Tokarski followed them and opened the security doors before signalling for me to follow through. I did so obediently as we returned to the locker rooms.

We said nothing else as we made our way back toward the cafeteria. But I knew he was thinking about all that I'd said today. I hoped I was able to crack something within him. I wasn't going to let him destroy my country.

He let me go just outside the doors entering the cafeteria and spoke to me in a roughly hushed voice. "No one is to know what we discussed. No one is to know what you saw and heard today. Understand?"

Even though I'd opened my mouth and said stupid things to him before, I bit back my tongue hesitantly. Right now, only several inches away from me, he looked frightening.

"Yes." I whispered.

"At three AM tonight, I will meet you outside the medical clinic. Don't be late." He stalked off then, and just when I was about to open the cafeteria doors, his voice sounded in my ear.

"If any guards question you about your whereabouts, tell them: B-21. If any of my military men question you, tell them one word: Dominik."

And then he turned around and left without a second glance.

* * *

"Zoey!" Ellis shouted, leaping from his seat. Francis' head cocked up from the table as he bounded from his seat and ran over to me in what seemed like seconds.

"Are you alright, darlin'? You're still not sore are you? Come, take a seat. You should sit down." Always the gentleman, and the over-protective father-like figure.

"I'm fine." I smiled genuinely. My legs stung, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

"We heard about what happened. That musta hurt." It was a new voice that sounded from my right. I noticed then that three newcomers had joined our table, all of which I'd seen here before, but had never gotten the courage to speak to.

"Yeah, it hurt like a bitch. But it was my own fault I guess." I laughed then, recalling how I'd fallen in the first place. Ellis had distracted me.

I turned to look at him then, and in the moment when our eyes met, I knew he knew I'd slipped up because of him. I wasn't a psychic, but Ellis' huge grin made it pretty obvious. My face burnt scarlet at the thought of him seeing my fall.

"She's a tough one." Coach smiled. "She can handle anything."

"It's a shame you're not a toughie, eh, Coach? How can you let a woman ruin your reputation like that?" Nick said snidely. I wanted to slap him for saying that.

Thankfully, Rochelle did. "Shut up, Nick. Have some respect." Bill laughed at Nick's humiliation and caught my eye. He gave me a wink.

"Good to see you're doing okay." A new voice called from down the row. "My name's Matthew. Daniel is next to you, and Maia is the quiet one." He announced.

I noticed Maia then, her face had been down and covered by her dark locks, whether she was fixated with something on the table, or in deep thought, she hadn't spoken. Although she was quiet, she looked well-built and athletic. She turned to smile at me briefly.

"It's nice to meet y'all." I mimicked Ellis' drawl. His head snapped up to look at me, his face full of awe. "How long have you guys been locked up in here for?" I asked.

"We arrived just after your group, although I haven't seen you guys around as much." Daniel spoke, and pointed to Bill, Louis, Francis and I.

"Naw, they came after you guys. They've only been here for a couple of days." Ellis clarified.

"A few days? Really? So they're still doing evacuations?" Matthew asked. Maia looked up from the table and watched him.

"Not for long." I muttered.

A few surprised expressions looked towards me at the table. It was then I realised that I'd slipped up. They weren't supposed to know the evacuations were going to be halted in return for a bombing escapade.

"What do you mean, Zoey?" Louis asked, general concern etched onto his face.

"Well, you know." Shit. What the fuck was I supposed to say?

"Know what? Is there something going on?" Bill asked next, a determined expression replaced his surprise.

"No! No, no, no." I waved my hands permissively. "I'm just saying. Cause you know… I'm sure most of the survivors are already at the evac zones." I was stretching the truth by a mile.

"We don't know that for sure." Daniel answered. "They'll have to keep evacuating until this entire problem is resolved. You guys couldn't have been the last ones."

"That's true." Francis agreed, his breath tickled my neck as he played with a strand of my hair.

I didn't want to talk about this any longer. Knowing me, I'd spill Tokarski's entire plan without meaning to. That's the last thing I needed. I hastily changed the subject.

"What's a Jockey?" I asked. I remembered Tokarski mentioning a Jockey as a special infected. But I swear I've never seen one before.

"You've never seen a Jockey before?" Maia finally spoke, and the group all turned to look at her. Her cheeks flushed vibrantly red at all the attention, but she continued speaking, although, a little quickly. "Not even a Spitter or a Charger?"

I frowned. "No… what are they? How come we've never seen them?" I asked.

"Isn't the Charger the one with the huge arm? The one that looks like it's been—" Louis started.

"Awh yeah, man! How gross does he look?" Ellis laughed, banging his fists against the table. I was so lost through this conversation.

"Wait, how do you know Louis?" Was I the only one who didn't know shit around here?

"Ellis told us all, don't you remember? When we were in that safe room?" Louis added.

"…No?"

"You know! When you were…" Bill suddenly elbowed Louis.

"It doesn't matter." Bill spoke. "Why don't you tell us what they are, Maia?" I honoured Bill's perseverance in allowing Maia a chance to speak.

And then everything clicked.

"You mean when I was infected? When I wasn't with you guys?" I asked.

I regretted my words as soon as they left my mouth. Because _one_, I hadn't been infected, and _two, _we had newcomers to the table who didn't fully understand our situation.

And as I foresaw, they all leapt from their seats in severe shock and bewilderment, before their voices filled the cafeteria.

"You're infected?"

"Why aren't you dead?"

"Why aren't you eating us?"

"Oh God." I slapped my hand to my forehead. Stupidity was clearly my best friend today.

"She's not infected!" Ellis shouted, hushing the newcomers. "Y'all know she's not infected. She ain't sick, nor is she eatin' us! She just went through some tough times, and that's that. So if y'all won't accept Zoey fer who she is then y'all oughta earn some manners and quietly leave this table before any more trouble starts, y'hear?"

I'd never heard Ellis talk so much in my life before. But hearing him defending me brought a smile to my face.

"He's right." Francis said from next to me. "You dudes have nothing to worry about. She's not a fucking infected, so take back your damn seats or leave."

It took them a few seconds to decide which side they were going to take. But eventually, they all sat back down, although this time, they weren't so comfortable. That wasn't my problem. They'd have to learn to accept our group as a bunch of idiots.

We were an awesome bunch of idiots.

"So… where were we?" I asked, a slight smile to my face. Awkward conversations were my specialty.

"I think Maia was explainin' the other special infected." Ellis smiled, giving his attention over to Maia.

* * *

The day passed easily, our new friends eventually warmed back up to us again, and even though we'd known them for so little a time, we'd already learned their dedication, determination and patriotic sense of love and honour for their country.

We'd told them our plans to cure the country of the disease. Even when it seemed as if it were impossible, they agreed they'd do anything they could to help us through our mission.

After all, the more numbers we had, the stronger we looked. And we needed all the assistance and numbers we could get.

I began to think in the mind of Tokarski. Sure, I didn't like the man so much, but if I was going to persuade him to follow our plans, he'd want to ensure that we were dedicated to this plan, and that we'd thought of every situation possible. I had to show him that our plan was the best means possible to restoring our country to civility.

I couldn't bear the thought of losing my hometown a second time.

I was still unsure about Tokarski's motives. Did he really believe my plan had a chance of operating? Or was he only hearing my plan to get on my good side? Would he use my plan to bribe me into joining their military ranks?

Ultimately, good idea or not, I believed it was still my duty to reveal our plans. I was going to do anything I could to see my country restored and cured of this sickness. Despite our lack of resources and numbers, I was determined to see this through to the end.

I wasn't going to let Tokarski ruin anything for me.

* * *

"Goodnight darlin'." Francis pulled me in for a hug and I melted into his arms, forgetting my plans for the first time that day. It was an amazing feeling.

"I love you." I said, kissing his cheek.

"I love you, too, Zo." He held my head in between both his hands and pecked my lips. "I'll meet you in the cafeteria tomorrow morning." He kissed me again, before venturing back to his tent.

With Maia as our new friend, we invited her into joining our tent. I felt somewhat safer with two other females in the tent, not that I was expecting anything to happen, but sometimes you just have to be prepared.

"Were you a PE teacher, Maia?" I asked.

She smiled shyly. "I get that a lot, here." She lay in her bed and removed her necklace. "I was in the navy before all this."

"The navy? Wow." Rochelle cuddled up in her own bed. "No wonder you've made it this far, girl. That's pretty amazing."

Maia laughed. "I may not look like much, but yes, I can operate machinery and weaponry."

"That's pretty sweet." I commented.

"So you looked after combat and security or something like that?" Rochelle asked. I never thought I'd see the day that Rochelle would be interested in a conversation like this.

"Everyone has to have some experience in that, yes. But I specialised in aviation." She concluded.

"Aviation…?"

"The air force… flying aircraft, things like that."

"So, like a pilot?" Rochelle was still confused.

I exchanged glances with Maia, and we both smirked. "Yeah, something like that." She laughed.

The rest of the night concluded with our personal backgrounds, and initially, I didn't want to share anything with them. But after hearing the personal lives of both Rochelle and Maia, and the experiences they had been through, I learned to open up and to speak about the tough times.

I relayed over everything in my life. I spoke about things I hadn't even shared with Francis, but that's not because I didn't love him enough, it was because I found the comfort of sharing things so much easier with female companions.

Ultimately, they were able to understand so much more than the men ever could. I took immense comfort in that, and fell asleep with a light heart and an open mind.

* * *

I was able to sneak out of the tent easily once my alarm blared at a quarter to three. I had changed into jeans and a black t-shirt before venturing out passed the cafeteria.

After opening the closed doors, the hallway loomed with light every few metres, and under one light I spotted a CEDA agent.

He saw me then and grabbed a hold of my arm. "What are you doing out here? You should be sleeping."

What had Tokarski told me to say? "Umm… B-21?" I replied.

He stiffened next to me before releasing my arm. "Right. Go on ahead."

Phew.

I continued on, passing the gym and tried to imagine the pathway that Rochelle had taken me through to the med clinic. Along the way, I felt like I was repeating myself, B-21, B-21, B-21. I didn't even know what B-21 meant, but it was already getting on my nerves.

I rounded the corner and ran straight into a doctor.

"Sorry!" I held up my hands in alarm, and almost blurted out B-21. Except this time, I realised Tokarski hadn't mentioned anything about the doctors. What the fuck was I supposed to say now?

"Zoey?" he spoke.

I recognised his square, black glasses and shaggy hair. "Angus?"

"What are you doing out here? You're not allowed out passed midnight."

"I have official business to conduct. It's Tokarski's orders." I tried to sound all official, and I think he ate that up.

"Tokarski, eh? You're not trying to get into the medical clinic are you? What business do you have there?" he asked suspiciously.

"What? Do you really think I'm going to barge in there and do something stupid?" I hissed.

He stared at me for a few heavy seconds.

"Oh come on, Angus! You should know I'm not like that!" I shouted, unaware if any military or CEDA men were around.

"Alright, relax." He hushed me. "Just don't go running into trouble, I know what you're like."

"It's nice to know you think that way about me." I said dryly.

He laughed then. "Sorry, but it's the truth. Where do you need to go? Maybe I can help out." He offered.

"In between the male and female medical wings. I'm pretty sure we're close, right?" I asked hesitantly.

"Good thing you're slowly learning your way around here. Take the left down that way." He pointed toward the end of the corridor. "And then two rights after that. Just try not to run into any of the military men, they probably won't let you pass."

"Not a problem, thanks heaps Angus!" I bid him farewell and started making my way down the corridor.

"Oh, and Zoey?" Angus called out to me. "Don't tell anyone I helped you out, okay? It's not that I don't trust you, but I don't want to seem suspicious toward Tokarski."

I nodded. "Sure, it's fine. I'll see you around." I left then, snaking my way around the corridors in search of the medical wing.

I took the first right and almost ran right into a military soldier. He was perched along the wall in such stillness, I was sure his figure was a wax doll. But then, he saw me.

"Halt. You're not permitted any further. I have the right to take you back to your tent. Move, now."

I fought against his arms and tried to push him away when he approached. "No, wait! B-21!" I said.

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "That's means nothing to you. It's our official business. Now, I said, _move away."_

Shit, shit, shit! Why didn't B-21 work? How can I not be allowed to pass? This didn't make any sense!

"You have to let me go! I'm a part of B-21!" I shouted this time.

"You're crazy, woman. I have the right to mobilise you and to return you back. Failure to comply with my orders will result in this. Now move away or I'll force you away."

Oh for fuck's sake! How was I supposed to meet Tokarski if I couldn't even pass his military soldiers?

Wait… what did he say about the military?

"_If any of my military men question you, tell them one word: Dominik."_

Dominik. Not B-21. I didn't know what the difference was, but I blurted out the name anyway. "Dominik!"

He released me immediately upon hearing my words and perched himself back along the wall. Without looking at me, he said. "Move along."

I took a deep breath, but made no sudden movement. I didn't know whether he was playing me or not. But after taking a few small steps, I realised he was just going to stand there as motionless as before.

I continued on, and took the second right, and ran into the man I needed to see.

"My God, there are people everywhere!" I complained.

"You're late." Tokarski said. "Let's go."

He led the way this time, and I followed behind him as if I were a weak pawn. Hell, I probably was. Sleep wanted to catch me, but I tried to keep alert to remember the pathway we took to reach his office.

He pressed a key into a security lock and opened the doors to his office. Once inside, he motioned for me to sit down while he poured us coffee.

"Do you want some hot chocolate?" He asked politely.

I nearly scoffed. "You drink hot chocolate?"

He stared at me. "Who doesn't?"

"I didn't think corrupted military leaders appreciated hot chocolate, but you have certainly proved me wrong tonight." I didn't mean to sound like a snarky bitch, but I was damn tired.

"I can prove you wrong again by forcing you to leave, if that's what you like?" Okay, he got me there. I deserved that.

"I'll shut up now."

"No, no." He placed a cup of steaming hot chocolate next to me. "Please go over your plan. It's a shame we were interrupted previously, but I can guarantee no one will disturb us here tonight."

"Well you already know my blood is the cure to the infection." I stated.

He sighed. "You've been over that before, yes."

I guessed I wasn't the only tired one. "The infected we need for this process is one of a kind."

"You've stated that before too. Tell me, do I get to hear any new information?" he asked.

"I'm just going over details, Tokarski! Military commanders shouldn't be so impatient." I said, miffed.

He smiled. "But we are. So please, do go on."

I took a few seconds to gather my thoughts together, all the while taking in the atmosphere of the room. It was colder in here than outside, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I felt like I was in a hospital, and everything was sterilised. The smell made me feel queasy, but I wasn't going to show weakness in front of him.

The walls were bland, but all held photos and his many qualifications. How he managed to collect them from the apocalypse, I had no idea. But he was the commander, after all.

The room itself wasn't huge, but it was large enough to hold his personal desk, three bookshelves and chairs for visitors like myself, to sit in. And were they comfy…

"I first saw this rare infected in a train yard outside of Riverside. I was attacked by a horde of the infected, but he saved me from them."

"An infected willingly saved you? Was he, perhaps, saving you for his own meal?" Tokarski asked, genuinely interested.

I chose to ignore his question. "My group came to save me soon after, so the man escaped before the others had a chance to see him. But I saw him again that night outside our safe room; he was feeding on an infected."

Tokarski grunted. "Mmm, they tend to do that to each other. Our guess is that they need food supplements, otherwise they'll die. They're not that different from us after all." He smiled wickedly.

"Anyway, I left my safe room and went outside to meet him. At first he…" I didn't want to say this in front of Tokarski, as I knew he'd definitely comment on it, but if I had to get my plan across, I had to relay every detail. "he forced himself onto me."

Tokarski almost choked on his hot chocolate. "You mean, like, romantically?"

My cheeks flushed brilliantly. "No! I mean like, for food!"

He laughed then. "Continue, please."

"Well I punched him. I noticed then that both my blood and his had been in his mouth, and undoubtedly, swallowed. After he realised he wasn't getting any 'food' from me, he fed off an infected on the floor."

Tokarski watched me silently. I had no idea whether he was paying attention, but I felt he was reading deep into my soul. It was the creepiest look I'd ever been given. I didn't even know whether I was safe in here or not.

"The rare infected escaped after that, and I was left outside with a dead infected man where both my blood and the rare infector's blood had been mixed into his system."

"How?" Tokarski suddenly interrupted me.

"The rare infected had taken a bite from him along his jugular, the flesh from his neck had been ripped open and exposed. Our blood had been passed through there and had travelled through his system."

"And then what?" Tokarski sounded bored, but his eyes revealed the same look he'd shared moments ago.

"And then the infected was no longer sick. His skin blemishes and discolouring returned to normal. The white irises became a glassy brown, and his claws had broken off into fingernails."

"Was he alive?" he asked.

"He was still technically dead." I replied.

Tokarski thought for a moment. "So this hasn't been tested on a live infected before?"

"No."

"Then it may not have a chance of working." He concluded.

"Which is why you have to let us make it work! We need to find this rare infected to test everything out! It's the only way!" I pleaded.

"What if it doesn't work? What if this was some unexplainable coincidence?"

"It won't be." I said softly.

"Ah, but you don't know that." He smirked.

"It doesn't matter what happens. I have faith that this is going to work. I have faith we'll find him and test for a cure."

He joined his hands together, "And where do you suppose we start such a search? With what resources and materials?"

This was it. Would there be an exchange here? A bribe? There was only one way to find out. "This is where you come in. I–" I paused for a second. I didn't want to say it.

He knew what I was going to say next. He was only going to force the words out of me. He smiled greedily. "Yes?"

"I need you."

He smiled further, moving his head backwards and forwards, almost as if he were nodding to himself. "You do indeed."

"So help us. Help my group find him. We can bring him back to you. You just… you can't hurt him. We need him too. He's important."

"Is he a friend of yours?" he asked.

This was going to start up another conversation that I didn't want any part in, so I just answered as far from the truth as I could. "Yes."

"I'm meaning prior to the infection."

I nodded.

"Are you sure?" he smiled again.

"Are you going to help us, or what?" I asked, ignoring his question.

He sighed. "What would you need?"

"Weaponry and ammunition – adequate ones too, the infected out there aren't easily taken down. A truck or tank of some sort, we'd need a vehicle to contain and carry him in. I'd say those walkie talkies would be great for communication for the group. Entire supplies of medical packs and necessities for us humans. We'd also need food, beverages, torches, bombs, Molotovs." I ticked them off with my fingers as I spoke.

"Hold up." Tokarski interrupted a second time. I glanced up at him expectantly. "Let me get this straight. You're going to leave this institution with all those things in hand, venture back out to Riverside in search for this infected. Fight your way through again until you find him. Restrain him. Fight your way back, and then administer your tests to find this 'cure'?"

"Yes." I said wholeheartedly.

"This is something the entire group has agreed upon?"

"Yes."

He sighed. "I can't allow you to do this."

My heart almost broke into pieces. "Why?" I whispered. Why wouldn't he allow this? He wasn't risking his life for mankind. It was us. We agreed to it. We wanted to do it. He had no right to tell us what we could or couldn't do. It was our life.

"I can't guarantee your safety. If we lose you, we lose a lot of survivors. I have worked incredibly hard to bring peace back here. To have lost so many more… mankind will soon be extinct."

"You can't protect us. We've agreed to this. We want to do this."

"I fear for the extinction of mankind. I cannot do it." He rose from his chair and passed my side to his door. "I will escort you back to your tent."

"NO!" I shot up from my chair. "No, you can't ignore this! This is something we have to do! We have to save our future!"

He shook his head. "You'll be risking your lives, and in the process of this, you have significantly low chances of returning."

"That's a risk everyone is willing to take, Tokarski. Even if we're given the red light, we will find a way to leave this place, with or without your supplies. Either way, we are going. You can't stop us."

He stared at me again. His eyes opened the doors to my soul, searching for the person I was, and for the person I had become.

What did he see? A young, immature girl trying to lead her squad to their deaths? Or a courageous warrior, determined to see life restored to her country for the goodness of mankind?

"Please, Tokarski." I pleaded.

His eyes continued to search and stare. His expression never faded from his features.

"Please… Dominik."

His frown disappeared as he stared at me with surprise. I suspected no one had called him by his first name for a long time. Family and friends had used it. Lovers and co-workers.

He had to let us go. We couldn't stay jailed in here forever.

"Will you let us go, Dominik?" I asked.

He stared at me again for several heavy heartbeats. His hands closed tightly along his sides, and his muscles trembled along the length of his arms. He took in my pleading expression, and opened his hands again, relaxing his muscles. He took one final breath.

"I will."

* * *

**A/N: It's been forever since I updated. But I've had to finish my trial exams, I've had my Year 12 Formal and my Graduation AND I've been accepted a guaranteed placement in University so life has been pretty hectic for me lately!**

**I haven't had any spare amount of hours to sit down and write this story, until this week! So I'm glad a new chapter is finally up!**

**It has officially been a year since I've been on Fan Fiction and since this story has been written, and I'm so happy to have as many fans for this as I do. I honestly never expected a crowd of this many supporters to enjoy my story, and I love every single one of you guys for it!**

**You guys are a huge inspiration to my writing, and I never thought I'd come this far. So thank you to all who have read and enjoyed. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Also I posted a new story called The Hunted, if you're interested, have a read and let me know what you think of it. I'm considering leaving it as a one-shot, but if enough people like it, I may turn it into a full story. :)**


	24. Identical Souls

With a heavy heart, Tokarski led me back to my tent and bid me farewell. I could still detect his tortured expression even though he'd put on an impassive and controlled appearance around his military men. He still wasn't happy with our plan.

"Do I have your word, Tokarski?" I asked, truthfully concerned that he'd take back everything he said tonight. After all, he had the power to do so.

He sighed. "You have my word. But we still have many things to discuss before you venture out."

"What about, exactly?" I wondered. Why couldn't he just let us go? Time was running out, and if he didn't let us leave sooner or later, I was frightened that he'd neglect our plan altogether and initiate his bombing escapade.

"Safety precautions, the supplies and materials needed, the number of people I'm allowing to leave." He ticked them off with his fingers. "There are still many things we must go over before you leave. I'm afraid it will take up considerable time."

Despite our calm nature a minute ago, anger flashed through my veins as I poked my finger into his chest. "Hey, negotiations weren't part of the deal! We can't delay another week, _Tokarski_. You promised me we'd get going once these shenanigans were taken care of." I hissed.

His mood dramatically shifted along with mine as he grabbed a hold of my arm. "You don't seem to understand the significance of this, _Zoey_." His hold tightened. "I have allowed you to go on your minor adventure. I have broken the rules and regulations instilled in this place, _for you_." His jaw clenched along with his hand. If he didn't let go, I was going to squeal from pain under his hold. "Do _not_ let me regret my decision tonight. I can easily take everything back if your behaviour makes for an unfitting appeal."

He released me then, and I clutched my arm to my chest as I glared at him. _Stay cool, Zoey. Don't do anything stupid._

I took a few deep breaths. "Fine." I said sternly. "When can we talk next about my plan? It would be good if we could speak again _very _soon." I said through clenched teeth. I had to hold back my rage, otherwise Tokarski would probably throw me in with the infected.

"I will come find you." And with that, he turned around and briskly walked away.

* * *

I didn't sleep well that night. For one thing, I couldn't fall back asleep after my 'date' night with Tokarski. Everything he'd said spun through my mind as several worries emerged.

What if he took back everything that happened tonight? What if, tomorrow morning, he scheduled his plan and commenced his bombing rituals. Was he to be trusted?

The first time I met Tokarski, he'd been cold and arrogant – a true leading commander. But now, after realising my potential, he's warmed up to me, and showed me respect as if I were his own soldier. But was that something I should be happy about? Would he expect me to join his ranks after allowing the commencement of _my_ plan?

I didn't have a clue. But it was something I definitely didn't want happening. I couldn't see myself operating for the military; it just wasn't in me as a person. Bill, yes. He was respectful, and received and granted orders successfully. He was honourable and courageous and intelligent. It was in his nature as a person, and because of the wars he'd fought and the struggles he'd experienced; it had shaped him into the person he is today. Noble, organised and efficient.

But, because of this, he has trouble connecting with other people. He struggles to love those around him. Hell, it took him weeks to warm up to me, and to see me as his adopted granddaughter. But that was the same with everyone else; we all had to start off at some point.

We were all strangers just doing what they could to help each other out – to remain surviving. But within that short amount of weeks, you truly get to know the people you're with, and the experiences they'd undergone to be the person they are now.

And because of everything I've been through to become the person I am today, I have realised that the military isn't for me. I have become a person that has a fulfilment in helping the needs of others. But I wasn't going to do such a thing under the command of another.

Like Tokarski.

Based on all of this, Tokarski is the one barrier in my plan. Without his affirmation, authority or supervision, my plan wasn't going to operate.

I needed his confirmation first, and with that, came the materials that each of us needed to survive. With that thought, I turned on the lamp by my bed and produced pen and paper from the first draw of my bedside table. I scribbled down the requirements and the supplies that would be needed, as well as the names of those who were in.

If he wasn't going to show his face in the next few days, I'd have to confront him myself at some point.

* * *

**Bill's POV**

"Let me get this straight, Zoey." I took a moment to clear my throat, as I lit my second cigarette for the day. "You spoke with the Commander, persuaded him to allow us to commence our plan of action, as well as provide us with our necessary instruments that we'd need and all he has to do now is give us the affirmative action to go?" I ticked off each part with my fingers. This all seemed too incredible.

"Pretty much." She replied, smiling widely. She was smug, even I could tell that. I raised my eyebrows and sunk back onto my bed, too surprised to say anything else.

"What do you mean by _pretty much_, cupcake? How do you know this is gonna work?" Nick sat opposite me, playing with the gold rings along his fingers. His white suit had been cleaned, and it was all he wore each and every day. The kid was pathetic.

"Look Colonel Sanders," Zoey bit back. "I've spoken with the military leader around here and we're good to go with my plan. He just needs a few days to get his shit together, and then he'll let us know, okay?" She was feisty today, I could easy detect that. Then again, all eleven of us could see it. At least they wouldn't know how much she was truly raging underneath.

Nick remained silent and continued to play with his rings, all the while eyeing Zoey speculatively.

We'd been in our tent ever since breakfast and we'd asked for Ellis' group and Maia's group to join us. I didn't know if it was a good idea to have so many people on one set task, but orders were orders, and I respectfully followed Zoey's wants. She was a tough kid, and diligent when she needed to be. Only her anger gets the better of her.

"I have a list." Zoey started. She leapt from Francis' bed and plunged a large sheet of paper on the floor in the middle of the room. Everyone, including myself, moved closer to view it curiously. "I wrote it last night. It has a list of all of us who are willing to go on my mission. But I want each and every one of you to sign by your name."

"Why?" Ellis asked, confused.

"For clarification. I don't want to seem pushy. You each have your own choice in coming or not. I'm not pushing anyone into this." She replied.

"Naw, Zoey, you know we're all in, right guys?" Ellis turned to look at each of us then, I only saw a few sincerely nod to his request.

"That only goes for you, Ellis. There may be some here who do not wish to go back out there." Zoey turned to look at us then. "And I completely understand if that's the case."

"What's the list on the other side?" Matthew asked. He was a newcomer, and a clearly confident and outspoken man. His burly figure weighed down the bed immensely, and it seemed his lightly brown shaggy hair was always covered by a maroon cap. Men these days have no courtesy in how they dress. It's quite displeasing.

"That includes all the supplies and materials we'd need." Zoey answered.

"That's quite a lot." Daniel commented from next to me. He was a quiet one on occasion, but he still seemed like a good kid. Compared to Matthew, Daniel was much skinnier and paler, but he was a good foot taller.

"What's on there?" Louis asked.

"Well the necessities come first, like food and water, obviously." Zoey stated.

Coach guffawed. "Amen to that. I don't wanna be eatin' shit again."

"Then we'll need the supplies to get us through to him." She spoke from the list. "I'm thinking of asking Tokarski for some machine guns. Can you imagine the damage we'd deal from those babies?"

"That'd be unreal!" Matthew commented.

"And a little dangerous." Maia said next.

"I agree." I stated. "They may not work effectively in such a large group of people."

"That's true, Bill." Rochelle said from next to Maia.

"It was just a thought. We'll see." She let it go, but I could see her desire in acquiring a machine gun. She'd always wanted her chance of using heavy machinery. I noticed it back in Riverside during our fight for survival, but I hadn't let her use it. It wasn't because she wasn't as efficient or skilled as Francis, or me, but I couldn't stand to see her hurt or cause an injury to herself.

"C'mon, keep 'em coming. What's next?" Nick asked, impatiently kneeling by Zoey.

"Unlimited ammunition, again, I'll have to question Tokarski about that. We'd need enough to last us a week out there." She said.

"You think we'll be out there for a week?" Francis asked.

"We may be finished sooner than that. I just don't want to spend more than a week out there." She replied smoothly.

"What if we are? What if we can't find this infected you need?" Daniel asked. He wasn't accusing Zoey, he just wanted to know the facts.

She didn't seem to know how to reply. "I think what Zoey means is, she's willing to fight for as long as she needs to, but she'd rather we were finished within a week to keep us safe and unharmed." Louis finished, eyeing Zoey sympathetically.

"He's right." I said. I didn't want anyone starting to accuse Zoey. "We'll take as long as we need to. Time doesn't matter. But if we're done sooner rather than later, don't take it as a miracle. We're just a quick and efficient team."

Zoey shared a secret eye with both of us, and I could see the thanks imprinted into her features. "I'm going to ask Angus and Dora for health packs and medical kits. I want to ensure every person has enough medical supplies."

"I'm sure they'll let us." Ellis stated positively.

"As for our own personal protection, I was going to enquire about protective body gear, somewhat similar to what CEDA and the military wear around here. If we could swipe some helmets and gas masks as well, things would be a hell of a lot easier for us."

"That'd be so awesome. Can you imagine us all suited up like that? It'd be like in the movies." Matthew stared off toward the roof of the tent, his mind clearly someplace else.

"Oh!" Ellis shouted, garnering everyone's attention. "How about those walky talkies? Y'know those things spies use to communicate? We should get some of 'em! We'd look all official and cool and stuff." He almost started drooling.

Zoey laughed. "I'll add it in. I can't guarantee anything though." She smiled.

"We won't be walkin' that whole way, right? Can we ask for some vehicles or golf carts to drive us down?" Coach spoke from the far corner. Despite his seriousness, the crowd in the tent burst into laughter.

"Just for you, Coach." Nick playfully slapped Coach along his back. "Just for you."

"We'd need John and Amanda to take us back to shore." Francis stated. "Couldn't we pile in some motorbikes in the boat?"

"And what? Get the attention of every zombie within a mile radius?" I scoffed at his stupidity.

"At least we'd escape fast enough." He muttered toward Zoey. She laughed.

"There's not much space to use vehicles." A realisation hit her as she stared off at the wall. "We'd have to carry the infected man back with us." She said quietly.

"Carry?" Maia shouted, her shyness wasn't with her today.

"I'm not touchin' that man." Rochelle commented.

"If that _thing_ gets my suit dirty… I can't guarantee he'll make it back here." Nick hollered.

"Guys! Relax!" Louis tried to calm the rowdy ones. It wasn't quite effective.

"Alright, cut it out! Show some manners!" I shot up from my bed. "We're doing everything we can do make this plan work, so I suggest you either leave here now and never speak a word of it, or you can decide to join us like civilised people and help us out when we need it!"

"Bill–"

"I've seen this infected before. He's not dirty or scummy or smelly. I have never seen an ounce of blood on this man. So I wouldn't start judging before you see him. I'd be honoured to help this infected man, knowing that his blood holds the cure to restoring normality to our world!"

Everyone was silent. Not one sound was heard. I took this opportunity to light another cigarette. I nodded toward Zoey, and then sat back down so she could continue.

"Right. Well. I think we're done for today." Zoey spoke softly. "Before everyone leaves, those who are willing to join us can sign by their name."

Light talking broke out amongst the silence, as one by one the survivors willingly signed to help us out. Matthew and Daniel were the first to sign, and then Maia obediently followed, before they left for lunch.

Coach and Louis were next, and Nick followed suit shortly after. Ellis signed it with a smile on his face, before I stood from my spot and signed next to my name. Francis signed after me.

"Rochelle." Zoey's soft voice was heard in the quietening room of the tent. "You don't have to sign it." I followed Zoey's eyes and found Rochelle by the wall, uncertainty clearly masked on her face.

"I don't know if I want to go back out there, Zoey." She spoke softly. Francis realised there was tension in the air and left the tent to join everyone else. I went to follow him when Zoey caught my arm and held me back.

"I understand that, Rochelle. Don't feel like you have to sign this. I'd rather you were safe in here than back out there too. I'd want that for everyone."

I held back from the conversation, and sat down on Francis' bed by the door of the tent.

"But I don't want to be the only one left here. I don't want to be scared anymore." Rochelle whispered.

"You wouldn't be alone. There are still numerous survivors around here."

"It's not the same. It's not the same when you know your team is out there fighting, but you're here shrinking away from it all. Scared and helpless."

Zoey walked up to Rochelle and grabbed her hand tenderly. "Take some time to think about it. I'll still have this paper until the end of the day. I'm going to give it to Tokarski after dinner. You have until then to think some more, okay?"

"I'm sorry. I wish it could be as easy as yes or no. Yes, I want to come out and help everyone. I want to be by my team. But at the same time, I don't want to go through the pain and exhaustion again. So then I would stay here, safe, yet alone. A coward."

"You are not a coward, Rochelle. Don't think that way. This is about your life. About your survival. You do what you have to do to live."

"Then what are you doing? Why are you risking your life for this man?" she asked.

"I'm doing this for the good of mankind. I want to see life back on earth. At the same time, I want to help this man. He's special to me. He deserves to be helped. It's just something personal, that's all." She smiled at Rochelle, earning a smile in return.

Rochelle sighed, and hastily wiped away at her tears. "I'll let you know soon." She smiled, and left the tent.

Zoey huffed and then joined me on Francis' bed. I spoke first. "I'm proud of everything you said to her."

"Ah, it was nothing."

"Not only that. But I'm proud of how you conducted yourself this morning. You sounded like a true leader." Her face fell, and I frowned at her in concern. "What? What did I say?"

"Do I really brush off that way?" she asked.

"What way?"

"As being a leader? A figurehead? A role model?"

"Of course. You should be proud of yourself for the way you act." I grabbed a hold of her hand.

"I don't know." She looked toward the floor, her face solemn.

I shifted myself closer to her. "What's going on, Zoey?"

"Tokarski wants me to join the military." She looked back up toward me. "I don't know if I want that."

"That's…" I was momentarily speechless. But she deserved to be happy about her successes. "That's an honourable thing for him to do. He must see potential in you. It's quite an honour, Zoey."

She gave me a look. I laughed.

"I know he's not the friendliest of men. But what leader isn't? Then again, this military he's conducted for himself is based off those who have survived. He only looks for the strong. I don't know if he's trustworthy."

She laughed dryly. "That's my concern. About this. About everything. Things are too weird right now."

"It's just life that's changing. It'll never stay the same." I said. "Even bein' in a war doesn't prepare you for a life like this. They come at you and come at you and they never goddamn stop."

"That's true." She sighed and leant on my shoulder, seeking comfort. I awkwardly wrapped my arms around her. "I hate the smell of smoke. But on you, it doesn't smell so bad. It just smells normal, even kinda nice."

I chuckled. "I don't know what to say to that." She started laughing.

"I have a question." I asked, interrupting the silence.

She moved her head towards mine. "What is it?"

"I understand how the cure works, how it heals the infected. But what about the special infected? We don't know whether it would cure a Hunter or a Smoker… or a Tank."

She sat up immediately and turned to face me, shock on her face. It paled even more once she spoke. "I never thought about that."

"It was just a thought." I said.

"No! No, no, no. We can't have any flaws with this. What if it doesn't cure them? What the fuck do we do then? Shit, I can't believe I didn't even think about that!"

"In that case… I will refrain from asking my next question."

She groaned. "What now? What else have I missed?"

"Not to worry, Zoey. We'll talk about it another time." I didn't want to see her in any more confusion. What I had planned to ask next would probably make her head explode. Or it could kill her from suspense.

"No, please tell me. This is important."

I was going to regret this. "How are you going to cure _him_?"

She was silent after that, staring off at nothing in particular. All the while, I knew in her head, she was thinking about a million things at once. Almost a minute had passed, and she still hadn't said anything.

"But don't think about it now, Zoey. We'll worry once the right time comes." I offered.

She hadn't blinked.

"Who knows? Maybe the cure will work on him too. We just have to stay positive." I stated.

Was she breathing?

"Zoey?"

She didn't respond to me at all. It seemed like she went into hyper-_un_-active silent arrest.

"Zoey?"

"This is _horseshit_!" She shouted.

Despite the silence, hearing her cuss suddenly, with _my_ swear word brought me into a fit of laughter.

* * *

**Zoey's POV**

I couldn't believe I didn't take Bill's questions into previous consideration. How could I not ponder over the results of the special infected? Or _him?_

How was _he_ to be cured? Our blood had already been mixed in together, and he'd definitely swallowed it. But nothing had happened since. Sure, it hadn't actually entered his system, but what was the chance that it was going to work anyway?

What the fuck was I supposed to do then? Have the entire world cured, but keep the special infected, and him, concealed behind their monstrous appearances, their humanity trying to seep through their wounds? It wasn't just. I couldn't allow that. Everything had to be fixed, everyone cured. There were no other considerations.

This wasn't part of my plan. I messed up. Again. Like so many other times. I hadn't reflected upon everything possible. There were still holes in my theory, and in my plan. After all, how were we to transport the man back to this zone? Handcuff him? Knock him out?

I shivered. _That_ wasn't just either. I internally groaned… so many mistakes I hadn't thought about.

"Zo, darlin', your dinner's gettin' cold." Francis voice sounded against my ear, his breath tickling the skin along my neck.

I snapped out of my reverie. "Mmm, I dunno if I'm all that hungry." As a matter of fact, I felt queasy.

"Maybe we can go lie down back in the tent. You've been working things out with your plan. I'm worried you're not takin' care of yourself, babe." He spoke softly into my ear again, ensuring those around us couldn't hear.

As tempting as that sounded, I didn't think I was in the mood. "I dunno, Francis."

He growled playfully as I felt his tongue glide along the edge of my ear. "Please." He groaned lightly, sucking the skin along my neck. I breathed in deeply, trying very hard not to moan in front of everyone. Clearly, I had mood swing issues.

"Let's go." I whispered. His eyes shone with excitement as he grasped at my hand and pulled me from my seat.

"We'll be a moment. We'll just be going over some minor _details _in our plan." He laughed then, and pulled me away from everyone. I chuckled with him, excited to finally be alone.

We ploughed down onto his bed, his weight pressing down on me lightly as his kisses caressed my neck. I sighed, looping my arms around his back, my fingers sneaking inside his black t-shirt, feeling the warmth of his skin.

"Mmm." I closed my eyes and smiled. "You're so warm."

He chuckled, his chest bobbing up and down. "You're so… tasty." He winked and nibbled along the skin of my neck, sensitively suckling near my scar. I moaned, shifting my face so I could reach his lips.

He kissed me tenderly, moving his hands along the length of my body, dragging his fingers passed my thigh and onto my stomach, lightly tickling the sides of my tummy. Our kiss slowly deepened as his tongue glided along my lip, demanding an entrance into my mouth. I granted it easily, as my hands moved to his head, my fingers gripping into his hair.

He shivered from my touch and clasped at my top, lifting it to expose my stomach. He tried pulling it up further until I stopped him. "Not here." I breathed haggardly.

"Why not, Zo?" Disappointment crossed his features. I hated seeing that look on his face. It was worse enough that I caused that look.

"Really?" Did I have to ask? "At this time? In _here_? When anyone could stumble in?"

His jaw clenched. "Zo, I don't think there's such a thing as privacy, no more."

I scoffed. "So you still expect me to take off my shirt in front of everyone? You wouldn't mind? Really?"

"Naw, I didn't mean it like that, darlin'."

I ignored him and continued protesting. "You wouldn't care if I walked around in my bra and panties, throwing myself at Louis? Nick? Even Ellis?"

"Okay, I get it!" He shouted, throwing himself off me. "I know what I said was wrong, just stop making a big deal out of it."

I lunged from the bed and shoved my shirt back down, anger convulsing rapidly within me. "So now I'm making a big deal out of this. Tell me, is my plan way out of control? Do you think I shouldn't have looked into it? Do you think I should give up?"

"That's not what I'm saying, Zoey! Don't you ever listen to me? I didn't mean what I said! Now can we just stop fighting?" His voice was raised, and rough, but he did nothing to provoke any further fight.

And then I felt like cold water had been thrown on me. It felt like everything had been cleared into perspective. "I-I'm sorry." I said.

I didn't realise I was shivering until Francis slowly leant toward me and grabbed a hold of my arm. "Come, sit down." He whispered. I was led over to his bed where he pulled me into his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Francis." I breathed against his shirt. I hadn't spiralled so far out of control in a while.

"It's okay, darlin', everythin's fine. I didn't mean what I said. I just got caught up in the moment, that's all." He tried to soothe my angst by caressing my hair, but I still felt vulnerable, and even queasier than before.

"No." I shook my head, nearing the edge of hysteria. "I feel like it's all just coming back. Like it'll never be gone."

"What, Zo? What is it? Talk to me." He spoke against my hair, still trying to find a way to calm me down.

"The monster. I can feel it sometimes. Crawling in my skin." I trailed my finger along my arm, igniting goose bumps along my touch.

Francis remained silent.

"I think that's why he likes me so much. It's almost as if he can sense it within me." To Francis, I sounded like I was rambling. But now, most of it all clicked.

Everything the doctors had been talking to me about, warning me about my behaviour. My out of control instincts, and always throwing myself into danger. My recklessness and rebelliousness. My rapid mood swings from raging anger, to controlled and calmed emotions.

It's the reason why the infected were able to connect with me so easily. I remembered my long lost friend and enemy, the Smoker and the Hunter. I remembered the rare special infected who I was able to befriend effortlessly. I realised now, maybe it wasn't because he liked me so much, but because he could sense something inside me, something that was different, something unrelenting, and unorthodox.

"Zoey, you're not making any sense. None of that means anything. I don't want you thinkin' that way." I realised I must have spoken my thoughts aloud. That wasn't part of the plan.

"You have to help me, Francis." I grabbed at both of his large hands, and tried to hold them securely in my own.

"I'll do anything I can to help you, Zo. Anything. I can't stand seein' you like this. I love you so much." He moved one of his hands to caress my cheek, before gliding his hand to my scar.

I flinched involuntarily. "Just help me stay sane. Normal. Humane. I don't want to end up like Tokarski, or the infected. You need to help me." I was desperately searching for his guidance, for some ounce of normality to hand me my humanity back.

"Zoey." He released his other hand from my harsh grip and grabbed a hold of my head in his hands. "I'm going to help you." He spoke slowly. "I'm always going to be here for you." He spoke calmly. "I will get us both through this."

I nodded frantically. "Okay." I said quietly.

"Come, lie down. You need some sleep. I can tell you're tired." Francis removed my jacket and lay me down next to him, before wrapping us both under the warm covers.

"I hate fighting with you." I whispered, my eyes closing easily.

"Me too, Zo. I don't mean to start anything. You know I love you."

I didn't know whether he spoke much after that, because exhaustion suddenly swept me under.

* * *

I tossed and turned for the third time that hour. Upon awakening, I realised I was still in Francis' tent, and almost hitched a fit. If CEDA or the military caught us like this, we could easily be thrown out or put in some sort of detention facility.

But then, after everything that happened last night, I hardly cared. I was tired of sleeping alone without Francis wrapped around me. I was tired of following their _rules_ and _regulations._

I huffed aloud, and stretched my muscles before climbing out of bed, careful not to wake Francis. I glanced at his clock before leaving the tent for my own, realising it was only eight in the morning.

"I must be outta my mind." I muttered to myself. Then again, I slept early.

I tip toed into my tent, making sure I wasn't going to wake Rochelle or Maia. Grasping at some clothes, I noticed a large sheet of paper on my bed. I completely forgot about giving my sheet to Tokarski, so I swiped that, along with my clothes and headed for the bathrooms.

After showering and brushing my teeth, I dressed and headed out passed the cafeteria. I grabbed a muffin from the canteen ladies and headed toward the medical clinic. As I ate, I opened my sheet of paper to guide me toward Tokarski's office.

I had drawn a sketchy map to assist me in finding his room. Although it was messy and scaled incorrectly, I managed to pass the halfway point before getting lost.

"Ah, horseshit." I muttered.

I walked along the corridors, paying full attention to the sheet directing me (at least, failing to) and instead, stumbled into a muscular figure.

"You should pay attention while walking. You may cause an accident."

Why is it the person you're looking for, always and somehow, finds you first?

"You're just the man I wanted to see." I smiled, greeting Tokarski, despite our earlier disagreements. He motioned for me to follow him.

He walked gracefully, despite having a large exterior. His arms folded behind his lower back. "What did you want to see me about?" He asked.

I flashed my sheet in front of him. "I came to deliver this to you."

He grasped my sheet and took a few minutes to read it. "So everyone is willing to join you in your mission. You certainly know how to build your own personal army." He sounded impressed.

Wait. "Only one didn't want to go. But I understand her intentions; I'd rather she stayed here anyway. I'd hate to see her in danger again."

"Are you sure about that?" he enquired.

I sent him a bizarre look. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No. I meant, are you sure about the numbers in your army?" After seeing my puzzled look, he sighed impatiently and handed my paper back.

I scrawled over the sheet to glance at my so-called 'army', and noticed Rochelle had signed it. "She signed it…" I whispered, talking silently to myself. Why would she have signed it? Not that I was unhappy with her choice, I thought she would have wanted to stay out of danger. "Well then, that changes the head count to eleven."

"Eleven lives that could potentially be lost… such a waste." There was a pained look on his face, but his voice sounded rough.

I ignored his demeanour. "Is there a vehicle that can carry us all? Would we need two or three choppers to transport us back to John and Amanda's place?"

"We'll talk about that soon. I tried to find you last night. I came to your tent, but you weren't there." He hinted at a suspicion, but he sounded sincere.

Quick thinking, Zoey. "I, was, in the… bathroom."

"For an hour?"

"Uh, terrible diarrhoea." Then his words clicked. "You waited for an hour?"

He stared at me, his emotionless mask never faltering. "I have to show you something." He stalked off then, and after ignoring my question for the fiftieth time, I had to struggle to keep up with him, _again. _

"Where are we going?" I asked along the way, trying to gather some form of direction to add to my map.

"You'll find out soon enough." He sighed.

I hoped I sounded like those little, annoying kids. "Are we heading to B-21?"

He smiled widely, but didn't laugh. "You shouldn't be saying that around here."

"Why not? I said it that night when I came to meet you. What's the difference now?" I asked.

"Do you ever stop talking?"

"No. Does it bother you?"

"Unfortunately for you, it doesn't."

Damn it.

We walked the rest of the way in silence, passing the way we'd already come. After we passed the men's medical wing, we took a right turn, and that was when I realised we were heading for room B-21.

I didn't know why he wanted to show me this room again, because quite frankly, I'd had enough of watching the infected squirm and belt down their cells. He motioned for me to join him in the locker rooms, as we changed into our safety gear before heading passed the secure doors.

Despite knowing they were going to be in there, shouting and snarling for us, I still flinched upon entering and seeing their faces again. Their arms reached through the bars, as if trying to grasp onto us. Others were fighting with each other, trying to tear the flesh from their skin, tearing eyes from their sockets. I could feel the contents of my muffin rise up my throat…

Thankfully, Tokarski drew me away from them. He led me through a narrow hallway that I hadn't seen beforehand, before coming up to a second door with a key combination.

"Tell me there aren't more of them behind here?" Honestly, I didn't want to know the answer.

"I'm sorry. This room may not appear any better." He entered the key and the door opened an inch. "In fact, it's probably worse."

We entered into a pitch black room, but I could distinctly hear the familiar growls of the Hunters, and the hacking coughs of the Smokers. The smell of bile was also in the air.

"How did you capture them?" I asked, taking a step forward.

Tokarski grabbed at my arm and immediately pulled me back. "Don't start walking until I have the lights activated."

I felt Tokarski's figure gradually move away from me. I heard the sound of his fingers against another key combination, and in a matter of seconds, we were blinded by radiant, burning light.

Upon seeing the light, I felt my eyes burn underneath my eyelids, the pain so intense that I was screaming from the pain. "Turn it off! _Turn it off!"_

I didn't realise I was on the floor until Tokarski slammed his body against mine and shielded my eyes with his hand. His other hand reached into my medical coat, almost as if he were groping me.

"Get the hell off me, Tokarski!" I had no idea what the hell he was doing, whether this was a physical assault or whether he was trying to reach for something, but I was going to defend myself anyway.

His voice boomed into the room. "Relax, Zoey. Put these on, now!" He ordered. I grasped at the object, realising it was a pair of goggles and shoved them over my eyes. "Open your eyes once they're on securely."

I couldn't trust him at first. But the harsh light suddenly faded once the goggles were placed over my sight. I gradually opened one eye, seeing Tokarski inches away from me, his legs open, arms holding onto me. Upon realising that my eyes weren't going to be burnt from the light, I easily opened them and glanced at the other figures in the room.

Tokarski leapt off me in a second, and picked me up by my coat. But him dragging me upwards were the least of my worries. I watched, as all around me, the special infected snarled and screeched as the harsh light penetrated their skin, burning their sight away.

"W-What are you doing?" I choked on my words, unable to speak.

"This is the only way we can study and test on them. Otherwise we'd be the ones getting attacked and fed on."

"No. No way. T-This isn't right." I was unable to accept what I was seeing beyond me.

"We only do this to help–"

I chose to ignore him this time, and interrupted his plea. "No, Tokarski. You don't understand. This is torture. They don't deserve this."

"How else do you expect to test them, Zoey? How are we going to do this with your '_cure'_? Do you think a Hunter is going to be willing to lend you his blood? Or have blood inserted into him?"

"Still. This isn't right. It's not–"

"It just has to do. I'm sorry. There's no other way." He concluded. "Don't argue with me now, Zoey."

He started walking passed them, so blasé to what was occurring around him, before he entered another security key. I chased after him, and finally noticed several other special infected in the room that I hadn't seen from before.

The room was larger than I thought as it held the infected I hadn't even seen before. I could recognise the Charger that Louis and Ellis spoke about. I realised the Jockey and the Spitter were beyond them, their appearances recognisable to Maia's description. They all screeched on the floor, limbs flailing uncontrollably, internally pleading for the light to be shut off.

I hadn't even realised I spoke until Tokarski answered me. "The Tank and the Witch have to be kept in separate rooms. They're too deadly to be kept in here together. I'd rather not show you that room." As curious as I was, I couldn't stand watching them tortured. Despite everything they'd done to us physically, the pain they'd caused and inflicted, I still couldn't stand seeing them in such a vulnerable state.

They used to be people after all. They still are… they were just, violent and sick.

"Come through." I jumped at Tokarski's sudden voice, and followed him through to a non-infected room. Here, I recognised several pieces of weaponry, ammunition and supplies.

Everything I'd seen from the previous room fluttered out of my mind easily. "Is this it? These are our supplies?" I jogged to the long table and clutched at a machine gun, admiring the smooth exterior and the black texture.

"Everything you need is here." Tokarski joined alongside me. "Weapons." He pointed to each item as he spoke. "Ammo. Medical supplies." And hell, there were a _lot_ of medical supplies. "Bombs, Molotov Cocktails." There were several of each item, definitely enough to last us a week.

"This is amazing. I can't believe you gathered everything so quickly." I turned to look at him. "Thank you."

He smiled genuinely. "Don't thank me yet." He pointed over to the right wall where at least twenty pieces of protective body gear hung from the ceiling. "We're quite limited in sizes, but hopefully everyone will have their own size."

"They look so awesome." I almost started drooling. It was a pure black tunic, guarded by pads and shields along the length of the body. Hardcore helmets covered the back of the neck, and provided a protective shield over the eyes.

"There's a button on there that activates the gas masks." He added, smirking. He was impressed with himself, I could tell.

"How did you acquire these? They look incredible!" I asked, generally curious.

"They're a part of the army's uniform. We always have to progress with our machinery and uniforms as technology advances. Can you imagine wearing these pieces in the First World War?" His eyes shone from excitement.

I suddenly remembered Ellis' request. "You didn't happen to get any communicative pieces? Like walky talkies or anything?"

Tokarski laughed. "Each uniform has their own ear piece and microphone. It's already installed into the fabric."

I jumped from excitement and hugged him. He flinched from being held, but I had to show my gratitude to him. "Thank you so much! I couldn't have asked for anything better!"

He smirked and awkwardly grabbed a hold of my arms to pull me off. "Yes… well, don't let me down. Return back safely. That's all I ask."

"So, wait. When do we leave?" My heart lurched to a stop as I waited to hear his answer.

He thought for a moment. "When do you prefer to travel? Nightfall? Dawn? What's your strategy?"

I admit, I did prefer nightfall, considering the infected couldn't see us as easily in the sunlight. "Probably at night. Or the late evening."

"I'll have the choppers ready by 1500 tomorrow evening."

"T-Tomorrow? We're leaving tomorrow?" I whispered, unable to produce a voice. I almost couldn't believe it.

He scoffed. "You haven't stopped yelling at me over the past few days for not letting you go sooner. You're not going back on your plan, are you?" He cockily raised one eyebrow.

I crossed my arms. "Never. It was just… sooner than I expected."

"Well good then." He turned to leave the room then. I followed him, unsure whether I wanted to return back into that room. "One moment. I have something to show you."

He walked back to the table and produced a needle filled with a sickly yellow liquid. I noticed then, that there were quite a few of them. "What are they?" I asked, suspiciously.

"I asked the paramedics and the medical team to come up with a dose to calm the nerves of your infected friend. After all, I don't suspect he'll obediently follow you." He met my eyes, carefully searching for something. He gave me that creepy look again.

"So what does it do? What will happen to him if I give him that?" I pointed to the needle in his hands, unsure about Tokarski's motives.

"It's a paralyser of some sort. If you inject this into him, he'll become limp and immobile." He saw the look on my face. He knew I wasn't happy. "This will help capture him, Zoey. It'll help return him back here, but it only lasts for 48 hours. So you'll have to return within that time limit."

I couldn't see myself using the paralyser on him. Ultimately, I probably wouldn't even use it. But Tokarski didn't have to know that. Nor did the others. "That sounds like a good idea." I smiled, trying to look genuine.

"Great." He didn't sound very ecstatic saying it. "Let's go." He led me outside to the previous room where I placed my goggles back on, trying to ignore the squeals and shouts around the room.

Tokarski shut the light, and pushed me out of the room. He followed soon after, he almost looked scared.

"So that's why you use a blindingly harsh light." I understood it now. If the lights were on a normal exposure, the Smokers would be able to constrict us with their tongues through the bars of their cells. The Spitters could spit their goo toward us. The Boomers could vomit their bile over us. "I must admit, that's quite an effective strategy."

Tokarski caught my eye and raised an eyebrow. Underneath his confused expression, I could detect his pride in seeing me side with his strategies. "Uh, but it's still wrong." I shifted my expression away, hoping he hadn't seen my excitement in his military plans. That was the last thing I needed.

"What is B-21 exactly?" I asked, hoping he'd tell me.

He smirked, catching on to my suspicions. "You'll find out in due time, if you join our ranks." He eyed me speculatively. "Otherwise, we don't reveal such information to minors, or those who haven't joined." His smirk widened.

Conversation stopped between us as we walked back. The excitement in finally commencing my plan overtook every other emotion. The tortured infected I saw a moment ago were long forgotten. I wasn't going to let any negative emotion affect me. I was going to fulfil my mission of bringing him back here, of testing my cure on those who were sick. I had to do this for the prevention of the extinction of our race.

Tokarski led me back to the cafeteria doors and stepped inside. My entire group turned to look at us then, as apprehensive and awkward expressions were revealed on their faces. "I don't think they like you much." I commented.

He chose to ignore my comment, and instead motioned toward someone of my group. "Your boyfriend. He's the big-headed, burly one, is he not?"

I smiled. "That's him alright."

"I don't like him very much. He thinks too highly of himself."

"That's funny. That reminds me of someone else I know."

Tokarski gave me a sideways glance before motioning for me to join them. I nodded my head as a sign of retreat, and giddily turned to inform them of the good news. But then, Tokarski coughed from behind me.

I sighed, and turned back to face him. "Do you always have to have the final say?" I complained.

He smirked, his lips pulling up on one side. "Don't forget. You leave at 1500 tomorrow evening." He sent me a teasing smile before he disappeared behind the cafeteria doors.

* * *

**A/N: I love writing with Zoey and Tokarski. I find it so enjoyable because they're similar in so many ways, but their differences set them apart by miles.**

**So guys, hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's been a long road, and they're finally leaving the evac zone for our special infected friend! **

**Wanna help with some ideas on what to name him? Well hit me a review or send me a private message!**

**Thanks for those who previously reviewed! You guys rock! **


	25. Freedom to Fight

This was it. The moment we'd all been waiting for. The moment I worked hard for to accomplish. None of this felt realistic, or believable. Sometimes, it all but felt like an indistinct figment of my imagination. Had I dreamt this all up? Was this really happening? Would this destructive and horrifyingly dream-like world finally be restored?

It was an impossibility to judge. Who knew what the future held for us, for the rare special infected, or those who were sick. Was this disease completely reversible? Or had it all been a misleading coincidence?

I supposed we were due to find that out today as we awaited our flight. After I returned back to my anxious party, they were all but filled in with the details of what I'd seen earlier. Their expressions revealed signs of disgust, mixed in with dishonesty and distress, but I could detect a sliver of hope in their morbid expressions, an emotion that was reflected back upon me – that maybe this really was happening, that we'd finally received the affirmative from Tokarski. There was truly nothing to stop us this time. We could continue this fight for freedom and justice, and inevitably, the good of mankind.

Hours after a satisfying dinner, I received confirmation from Tokarski to allow everyone a glance at the weapons and the outfits before we ventured out. Surprisingly, and to my detriment, all the supplies had been transferred to another compartment of the institution. Either Tokarski had accepted my emotional plea in regards to the Special Infected Torture Chamber, or, he simply did not want the other 'incompetent and/ or disgraceful' survivors to know about the room, as he'd once called them. (And yes, he did specifically say that aloud!) Of course, my hardened, stony glare only caused an amused expression from Tokarski. I could never win with him.

Nevertheless, I was able to locate the section of the institution with the help of Angus and Dora, who, after several consistent and annoying pleas; they had dutifully disregarded their scientific work and ordered us to follow them. Once in our destination, they'd hastily left, mumbling and hissing unintelligible words of 'disruption' and 'work ethic', having then complained about their inaccurate and unfair employment wages for the 'work' they performed. I scolded them for their disrespect toward their leading Commander, to which I received several eye-brow raises and looks of idiocy from my compatriots.

Ignoring the rapid escape of the two doctors as well as the concerned expressions garnered from those around me, I led them through the sealed door in order to access the supplies and materials beyond them. Surprised gasps and audible whispers of excitement erupted around me as all of them followed their own direction toward their destined item of interest. Honestly, it was as if they were ten children having just entered an amusement park. Francis, Ellis and Coach, as well as our newbies, Daniel and Matthew, marvelled at the military uniforms, bestowing looks of respect and enthusiasm as they all found their accurate sizes and began to try them on. Nick merely scowled, his expression revealing disgust as he snorted, and hugged his white suit closer to his body. He turned to leave the rampant men and instead, ventured toward the weapons, joining in with Bill's awed and worshipful expression.

Louis admired the medical supplies before him, gradually picking up each pain pill container and reading the inscription, before laying it back along the table surface, only to grasp onto another in order to repeat the same process. It was amusing to watch, and I stifled a giggle as he turned to look at me. I turned away at the precise moment and caught Rochelle and Maia testing the pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails in one corner of the room. Their targets were shielded by a wall, as well as 20ft of extra floor space. Their joyous expressions were infectious and I stumbled over toward them, desiring to try one out for myself.

The night passed easily, and very much eventfully as each survivor picked out their own military uniform, each of us finding accurate sizes to match our bodies accordingly. As we attached our gas masks and communication systems, it dawned on me that only four of the twenty uniforms had a microphone chip inserted into the outfit. Although each of them had effective hearing devices, only four were definitely able to communicate orders to the other twenty. It was a concern, albeit small, but Bill managed to convince us this was only for the best.

"_Can you imagine eleven of us shouting and swearing to each other through those mics? We'd just about drive each other crazy." _He'd said, barking into the silence of the room. He shifted his beret tightly onto his head. "_Best to split into teams, I say. Two mics to each team. No indistinct orders and no shouting. There'll be a hell of a lot more control. That's an effective strategy, god damn it!"_

And damn it, it was. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, which is why I was always so thankful for Bill and his patriarchal and patriotic role in our party. Henceforth, we gathered our desired weapons, attached medical supplies and explosives to the holsters and pockets of our uniforms as well as grabbing a mighty handful of magazines for the journey ahead. I explained to the team about Tokarski's syringes to use for the rare infected, but honestly, I felt it violated his rights in having to knock him out. I couldn't agree with his orders. Some agreed with me, nodding their heads accordingly, others I noticed were hesitant, and I didn't doubt that they'd want him to be sedated.

Tokarski, fortunately for me, entered the room shortly after, and promised to transfer our materials to a closer destination before our flight, in return for us leaving this room. We did so obediently, and settled down in our tents, each anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next day. As excited and determined as I was, I couldn't help but feel a churning in my stomach… as if something wasn't quite right.

* * *

The eleven of us crowded into the administration office of the institution, which was the first room we'd ever entered on our first journey here. The stark, white walls felt claustrophobic, but being comfortably situated in our awesome uniforms eased my awkwardness. Hell, just by glancing at ourselves in the bathroom mirrors, we could easily admit, we looked fucking fantastic.

"This makes my butt look amazing!" Rochelle commented from next to me, turning herself around constantly just so she could take a peek at herself. I caught Francis looking too, for which I playfully slapped his arm. He smirked, having been caught, and promised mine looked a hell of a lot better. Damn right, it did.

"Mine too." Ellis flaunted his uniform and suggestively walked towards Nick, running a finger down the length of his arm teasingly. Nick flinched and shoved Ellis off him, rendering our group in a fit of laughter.

"Back off hick! Just because you _thought_ you looked sexy in overalls, doesn't mean you are in _that_!" Ellis flushed from Nick's comment, but thankfully, didn't take it to heart. I knew Nick wasn't always the nicest person.

Ellis retreated back next to Rochelle and Maia, sending the both of them a sideways glance. "I still think I look purty darn sexy." Rochelle eyed Maia with a smirk as they both erupted into giggles. I didn't miss Maia's flushed cheeks, however.

Our group broke off into strategic planning for the journey ahead. It was decided that we needed two equal teams that complemented each party. Of course, with our unequal group of eleven, one team would outweigh the other in numbers, but by addressing elements of strength, stamina and weapon-handling, Bill was sure we'd effectively split the parties to ensure no fallouts or downfalls. As much as that would work, I addressed to the main party that familiarity within the group was also a strength. Knowing I had Francis with me, safe and unharmed, quenched the turmoil of anxious thoughts and distractions that I would experience if he were on the other team. Likewise with abilities, not to sound offensive, but how good were our newcomers in fight? I'd seen Ellis' team and knew a little of how they operated, but with such cloudy information, it could easily lead to our detriment.

I finally decided to keep Daniel, Matthew and Maia in the same team, but partnered with Ellis' group. That way, the three newcomers welcomed familiarity of having their old team together, but could collaborate with Ellis' team too. I figured they knew each other better than the four of us. After all, we'd only arrived short of a week ago, and hadn't gotten to know them very well.

"Tha' don' seem right, Zo. There are seven of us, an' four of y'all. Tha' ain't equal." Of course, even I realised that. But I couldn't bring myself to separate one of them from the opposite team. It would work out better if we stayed this way.

"We'll be fine." I peered over at my comrades gearing for battle, and smiled. We've always been able to take care of each other. There was no concern with that. "Just take care of yourselves."

Bill sidestepped away from our circle and came up from behind me, grabbing my arm to lead me away. We walked to the opposite side of the large room, knowing full well they couldn't hear us. He hushed me when I tried to speak. "I know in this circumstance that we'll be fine, Zoey." God, he could read me like a book. "But we could use an extra person with us," He had to hush me again by giving me a hard and stern stare. "Yes, I know it has the potential of threatening group civility, but we are going to need someone else with us. We need more safety, and precaution." His stare softened as he glanced at me with a frown on his face and grabbed a hold of my hand. "I can't let anything happen to you. You know that."

I sighed, trying to look anywhere but his eyes, because I knew he was right. I didn't want to admit that to him though. "Yeah, okay."

He flinched back, slightly surprised, and then gathered his determined expression again. He raised his hand and placed it on my shoulder, tightening his hold. "I'm proud of ya, kid. For everything you've done. You make a damn good leader." And with that, he patted my shoulder and idly walked back to the circle. I couldn't help but smile as I rejoined them.

"Well, it's decided! I'm officially a'par'of yer team, Zo! How awsum is that?" He giddily strode over towards me with his arms open, offering me a tight hug as thanks.

I was slightly hesitant to return it, only because I hadn't decided on this. "Ellis? What are you talking about?" I was sure he could hear the uncertainty in my voice, but it didn't bother him at all.

"Yeah, boy? Why ain't chu stickin' with us, for?" Coach stood from his perch and walked over to us slowly, his large frame thudding along the linoleum. It looks like Ellis hadn't alerted his team to this call.

Ellis gave Coach a sideways glance and motioned his hand out towards the man. "Now relax, Coach. Ev'rythin' will be fine!" He then turned to meet my confused gaze, but he only smiled back excitedly. "Okay, so, y'know how ya said tuh stay in familiar teams an' all? I realised I'm purty close wit chu guys an' y'all know me well enough tuh be apart of your team. An' hell, ya guys need the numbers too, y'know? It works out gewd fer ev'ryone if we stick tuhgether!"

"Okay, I got that. But you should probably talk this through with your team, El. I'd hate to feel like I'm separating you guys." I voiced the truth, truly concerned that Coach, Rochelle, and hell, even Nick wouldn't want Ellis to be split from them. I wouldn't wish that for Bill, Francis or Louis. This was a tough call to decide.

Luckily Tokarski showed up then, interrupting any issues we were currently voicing and confronting. They would have to wait for the boat ride to Riverside… Riverside… I couldn't believe I was going back. Back to my hometown, again. That was what scared me the most.

"You're late." Francis spoke from next to me, and I was shocked he'd voiced that toward the Commander. I elbowed him roughly, trying to evade his attention from the military leader. He met my eyes grudgingly as he took in my appalled expression.

Tokarski sneered at Francis, opening the main door that led outside. "You're simply early." Without another word, Tokarski walked out, followed by his henchmen Ivanov and a nervous-looking Eric. I realised I could hear the helicopter's rotors beyond the doors, and simultaneously, feelings of anticipation and dread filled me. Under all this leadership pressure, I just wanted to run away.

But Bill caught my eyes, his expression never faltering as he studied me earnestly, almost encouraging me to follow after them. I gulped, hands twitching for pistols along the side of my waist, and nodded my thanks to him. "Let's go everyone." I lead the way first through the double doors, granting us entry into the outlands of the institution, and into the startling vision of the blinding sunlight. My thoughts returned to the Infected Torture Chamber (as I liked to call it) and the churning in my abdomen only increased as feelings of trepidation uneasily swirled within me.

I tried to hide my apprehension and blindly trekked toward Tokarski and his soldiers. They stood tall, and imposing, but I couldn't let further feelings of intimidation surprise me. Tokarski noticed my presence and gave me all his attention. "The second helicopter will be here in a moment. I hope you have discussed the conditions of your team arrangements." He eyed me speculatively.

I nodded and turned to catch someone's gaze from next to me. But as I turned around, I saw everyone was much further away. No one had followed me, not even Francis. That unnerved me, quite a bit. I turned back around and bit my lip. "Yeah. We got that under control." My voice shook slightly, but I hoped he didn't pick up on it.

His expression hardened and he frowned down at me, his dark eyes were like smouldering shards of stone. "That doesn't sound convincing. What's wrong? Are you having second thoughts?" his voice sounded the same as always – cocky and calculating.

"No." I said a little too quickly. "Everything is fine. As soon as the chopper is here I'd like to get going as soon as possible." I took in a deep breath and stood tall, folding my arms over my chest, shielding the negative energy I had gathered from him. This was going to be a long moment. Without intellect, I turned around and motioned for everyone to shift closer. They provided me with strength and resolve, and I desperately needed their guidance next to me right now.

Tokarski led me forward, separating me from my group a second time. I didn't know why he did this for. Whether he believed I had more potential, or just wanted to speak with me privately, I had no clue. I guessed it was the latter, the former sounded… well, down-right wrong. "I wish you luck on your journey." He spoke with authority, but I could detect his underlying desire to have us all return safely. "Return this infected man safely." Okay, well, I guess the infected man _was_ more important. "After all, we need him, don't we?" He raised an eyebrow, and I nodded blatantly at his question. "You have grown into a determined soldier. I can see it in you. You will do well, Zoey." He smiled. The talking Hulk actually _smiled. _It vanished almost as soon as he'd done it, but I knew I saw it. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Don't worry about any of us. We'll be back in a few days, tops."

* * *

The boathouse from Riverside peaked from the immense stretch of the water below us. Despite the abyss that flowed for miles around us, I could detect the lighting from the boathouse we'd evacuated from almost a week ago. And unsurprisingly, nothing had changed. The closer we approached the more bodies we noticed. Those floating on the tips of the water, others strewn and thrown about violently as if they were rag dolls.

And the blood. With only about a kilometre to go, the blood spurted along the walls of the house, and the field beyond was incomprehensible. It's funny how blood goes unnoticed while travelling. Almost peculiar. It almost made me sick.

I hastily looked away from the dock and instead focused on those around me. Everyone applied their helmets around themselves protectively, and I clasped onto my AK-47 with a strong hold. This was our time to shine again. We'd each taken several medical supplies, as well as explosives to ensure we travelled through Riverside with a powerful force. We looked unbeatable!

"Guys, do you mind if we check the communication wiring?" I asked, fidgeting with my microphone. I was certain everyone had heard me, as they all reached up toward their left ear to balance out the static from my voice.

"All's good, Zoey!" Louis perked from opposite me. Everyone nodded silently, somewhat excited. I could sense the anticipation of every one of our members. It was contagious, and I felt myself tingle with excitement at what awaited us. It was almost as if I couldn't wait to go out and slaughter some zombies.

"Y'all ready for this?" I heard Coach's voice over the speakers in my helmet, and nodded enthusiastically as we ventured closer to our destination.

"I'm sorta nervous." Maia spoke from her mic, and I turned my gaze towards her, as did the other nine people in the boat who exchanged nervous glances. "Don't get me wrong! This is going to be awesome! I just can't help but feel a little anxious about it all." She was unconsciously tapping her boot against the floor of the boat, something people did as a habit. Personally, I found it kind of annoying.

"You'll be fine, kid." Bill spoke from the fourth and final-working mic. "We'll all be fine. As long as you stick together and work in an effective team, we'll be good to go in a few days." Hearing Bill's voice comforted me. I glanced his way and smiled, trying to draw strength from his steely expression. If he could do it, after experiencing the horror of war, and the decades of smoking cigarettes, especially considering he wasn't getting any younger, then I could easily do it too. I was young and fit, sturdy and impenetrable. I can do this with ease.

Amanda, John's wife, came out from the front of the boat then, and did a double take at our appearances. Clearly we looked completely and utterly amazing in these military uniforms, as it was her second time that her bright blue eyes shined as she took in our party. She was a nice woman, and her sense of humour sadly reminded me of my mother. Amanda's dark red locks bounced as she stepped up to join us. Her voice was soft as she spoke. "John thinks you'll be ashore in a few minutes. But he says he wants to talk about something before you leave."

Bill stepped up in his honorary role and smiled at her warmly. "Thank you Amanda. We're thankful for everything you and John have sacrificed for us." Amanda was slightly shaken by Bill's comment, but she warmed up to him instantly and went to shake his hand. They exchanged a few more words before she ventured back inside with John.

"Looks like this is it, kids. We'll be back out fighting for our lives, as well as a special someone's before you know it." Bill still stood, idly watching the abyss of the sea disappear behind us, his arms placed dutifully on his hips, back tall, chin forward. He looked like a fucking military beast. I wish I could look like that…

John approached from the head of the boat and signalled for Bill's attention. Realising it was a serious matter, I jumped up and followed Bill as I took my place by his side, his second in command. I was going to do a damn good job at showing Bill my oath and authority to him. After all, I believed he earned it respectfully.

John scratched his stubble as he placed one arm on his hip and tried to avoid our contact by looking at the boathouse – only feet from the dock. "Look, uh, I don't know how long you guys are going to be out here for… but Amanda and I can't simply wait here idly all alone. I'm sorry."

Bill held up his hand vertically, signalling for John's silence. "That's perfectly fine. We don't expect you to do such a thing. We shouldn't be more than a few days, a week at most. I expect the radio inside the boathouse to work finely enough. We can contact you through the radio a second time."

John relaxed slightly, his posture loosening as he finally returned our glances. "I know it's a hassle, but there's nothing much else we can do. We'll wait for the signal; I promise you, you'll have nothing to worry about." John clamped his hand in Bill's, signalling some sort of agreement.

I hoped Bill wouldn't scold me for asking a question, but I had to know the inevitable. "How long will it take for you to reach us?" I asked it honestly, and in return, I wanted an honest answer. The last time we'd been evacuated it seemed like fifteen minutes of hell had flown by before he showed up. And it was perfectly good timing too.

John rubbed his stubble again, thoughts clearly elsewhere but here. "To be honest, I'm not sure exactly. If I had a speedboat, I could easily say less than ten minutes. But with this baby," He gestured toward his ship and thumped his hand down on the steel railing, "it takes her a while to manoeuvre through the water, because of her weight and engine." He took a deep breath, counting the minutes in his head. "Fifteen minutes tops. I promise you we'll be here within that time frame. There's no other way around it. I'm sorry."

Bill and I exchanged a look of silent agreement. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'm sorry we can't offer you anything in return for all this." John smiled slightly at Bill's words and shook both our hands. He wished us luck on our journey as we all spilled out of the boat and equipped our guns.

I felt the cool and smooth texture of the AK-47 in my hands, wielding absolute power and control. Courage instantly filled me as we ventured out passed the boathouse, along the way we once came, through the woods of the campsite. Our group was immense in numbers and strength, and nothing could stop us. Common infected bellowed one instant and screeched in silence the next. Smokers and Hunters were easily eradicated, as we voiced everything we heard, alerting everyone once we heard the growl of a Hunter nearby.

We reached the wide expanse of the field, and instantly the sound of deeply voiced moans filled the air. The atmosphere went cold around us, as we realised she was still alive. The Witch was still here – alive – right _now. _This wasn't good. I hoped she was still inside the shed by the entrance of the national park and we wouldn't have to face her. I couldn't have any lives lost during this search.

"She's alive." I whispered into the mic, alerting the comrades around me, but mostly in reference to my group of four. "Guys, she's still fucking here."

Francis cocked his combat shotgun violently. "That brat is still fucking here? Still crying? I'll give her something to cry about, god damn it!" Despite the fact that he had no mic, I could easily hear him underneath his helmet. He thudded towards the shed and blindly opened the door in a rage. I screamed after him, trying to pull his massive form away from her.

But there was no scream. No shout of defiance. No impenetrable anger.

She wasn't there.

"Guys." It was Maia's voice. I rapidly turned to gaze at her, and followed her glance toward the northern end of the field. I was met with a sobbing figure in the darkness, her body dragging up and down, stifled by cries of desperation and lonesomeness. And best of yet, she was right outside the entrance that we needed to pass.

"Damn, son of a bitch!" Nick shouted before he kicked at a rock along the grass.

"Well how are we supposed to pass now?" Matthew shouted from underneath his helmet.

"I can't believe she actually moved." Louis spoke up next.

"I'm sure we'll find another way. There's always another way." Rochelle quirked, shifting her assault rifle over her shoulder.

"Cut out the yapping! I can still hear everyone without mics." Bill grumbled, slightly limping closer towards the Witch. "We don't even need no god damn mics cause I can hear all your pointless squabbling anyway." He was pissed off, but I knew it was only at our current situation. He didn't mean to act this way towards everyone.

Our group shifted upward and followed Bill, standing closer behind him, all quiet and waiting for his response on the plan of action. He thought for a while, even taking a cigarette from one of his holsters to light it. He drew in a breath and turned to face us expectantly. "We'll set her on fire. Someone's just gonna have to run their lungs out."

"Are you seriously thinking of startling her? Don't you realise someone could end up killed?" Maia spoke harshly, and almost dropped her weapon in mild disbelief. Anger radiated from her but Bill didn't flinch in the slightest.

He watched her, their eyesight never leaving the other. "Do you have any other ideas, Maia?" He spoke sincerely, but to those who knew him well enough, he was definitely challenging her. No one argued with Bill's orders, even if they were stupid, or sacrificial. There was never a negative response.

"I'm a'right with Bill's idea. Heck, I'll even do it maself!" Ellis clutched his military rifle and secured it around his back. He grabbed at a Molotov by his holster belt and a lighter from his chest pad before lighting the Molotov alight.

Shock replaced the neutral expression I once wore. "Ellis! What the hell do you think you're doing?" I shouted at him, and tried to grab at the Molotov in his hand in order to extinguish the flames. There was no way in hell I was going to let anyone risk their life! We'd just have to find another way!

"Don' worry none, Zo! I gotcha covered." And with that said, he sprinted towards the Witch and hurled the Molotov directly at her. "Take that, you son uv'a bitch!" Ellis laughed outright and before any of us made sense of the situation, he was sprinting for the southern entrance of the national park, the way we'd just come.

By God, he was _fast_. "Damn it Ellis!" I ignored the heightened screams of the Witch, and bounded after her, pushing my legs faster as I tried to keep up with her stride, knowing all too well that she'd direct me right to him. My breath came out in rapid gasps, and I have to admit, not fighting for our lives had taken its toll on my physical endurance. I'd have to keep that in mind next time I'm ever holed up in an evac station.

Forcing my legs faster, I unloaded as many bullets as I could into the back of her scorching skin. She was blistering harshly, and her screams became more wild and frenzied. It was that moment that she realised she was going to die. And that's when she turned on me.

My breath caught against my chest as I watched her quivering form turn back towards me. She'd stopped running; the pain in her legs seemed to sharpen the ache of her muscles. Watching her legs as thin as sticks tremble as she rounded the spot at a 180° angle unnerved the living shit out of me. Honestly, it was the scariest thing I'd ever seen. And that's why, as I stood there motionlessly, I couldn't find the strength within myself to shift my legs an inch. I couldn't force myself to look away from her piercing, blood-shot gaze.

She padded closer on her tiny feet, knowing her meal was awaiting her razor sharp claws. She knew she was going to get something out of me, before she died mercilessly on the grass below her. I just had to move… just a muscle, or a nerve. Just something to get me out of here! But those eyes…

A piercingly shrill gunshot exploded around the campsite as the bullet connected with the forehead of the Witch. Dark blood oozed from the wound and tricked down the line of her nose, passed the groove of her lips and landed on the grass underneath her shuddering form. She hissed her jagged teeth at me, and lunged for a final bite. I didn't see as she fell motionless to the floor as strong arms snaked around my waist and pulled me away from her penetrating gaze.

I puffed harshly against those arms, and found myself quivering in his arms, unable to tear myself away from her sickly pale form. "Nice shot." I breathed.

"_Zoey? Is everything okay? Hurry up… and come back safely." _ I heard Bill's voice penetrate the speakers in my uniform. But I didn't respond to him, instead, a light laugh tugged on my thoughts.

He chuckled from behind me, his chest pounding against my back. His hands moved along the circumference of my waist, along the length of my back, before they were removed completely from my skin. "C'mon now, Zo. Let's git goin' back." He placed his arm around the back of my neck and gently guided me back towards the large group. Before he reached the throng, however, he spoke again. "I gotta admit, you were purty fast tuh keep up like that. But thanks a bunch fer comin' after me." He lightly nudged my shoulder, and I smiled my thanks in return for his perfect gunshot. His arm left my back as we neared closer.

"Glad to see you kids are okay." Bill lightly trumped over to us and landed a hand on each of our shoulders. "But we gotta get going. We've had to fight against a large horde without you both. We need to get a move on." He directed a look towards me, and I nodded in response. We didn't have long to find my rare infected friend.

We headed off then, and split off from our teams. My group took the left of the northern entrance, backtracking through the streets in the neighbourhood. Coach's group was going to take the right, plundering through the main streets of Riverside to meet us back near the church. We bid each other farewell, with respectful prayers of luck and safety for the other.

"Feels kinda weird without Coach, Ro and Nick." Ellis lightly commented, as we grabbed at extra magazines from the abandoned house, before venturing back out along the road.

"Sorry Ellis. I really didn't want to separate you from them." As we talked, I aimed my AK-47 and shot through several heads and chests of the infected littering the street. It was easy to get lost while doing this, and shockingly, it was somewhat relaxing.

Ellis lifted his sight from his scope, and threw his rifle over his shoulder. I watched him do it, and hell; it looked so professional and badass! I had watched Rochelle do it earlier and it only ignited a desire for me to do it. Hell, I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass me by. I promised myself I'd do it at least a few times before we left for evac again. "Naw, I ain't complainin' none. I like bein' wit chu guys. It's all sorta diff'rnt but loads'a fun at the same time! This sorta reminds me of tha time when Keith and I found this alligator down near the waterin' hole and –"

Francis moaned in annoyance. "Ellis. Shut it." He moved ahead, opening the entrance to the safe room and plunged himself along the floor, sinking into a comfortable position despite the hard wall behind him.

I gave Ellis an apologetic smile before joining Francis and Bill on the floor. Louis and Ellis joined us afterward. Everyone was slightly puffed from the events of the day, and it was easy for some of us to find sleep at a time like this.

Francis moved his arm around me pulled me closer to his large frame. I found immediate warmth and took comfort in being held in his arms like this. Being separated during sleep times at the evac station had been torturous for me without having Francis by my side. I was glad that now, he was all mine.

Only a few thoughts continued to flutter through my mind as sleep came and went. Soon enough, all four men were snoring soundly as I was kept awake amidst it all. But even my thoughts exhausted me as I thought about the rare infected man. It'd been at least a week since I'd seen him and I worried about his whereabouts, hoping and pleading that he'd still be situated somewhere here in Riverside. If he wasn't, we were doomed, and my plan would all be for nothing.

The nervous churning in my stomach died down once I realised we'd achieved a successful day without losing or seriously injuring a life. I hoped it would stay that way for the remainder of our time here, and that we could safely transport my infected friend to his shelter.

But, we'd have to find him first. And I knew just where I wanted to look.

* * *

**A/N: **I have to admit, I love writing in Ellis' dialect. It's so fun!

I also must admit, it's freaking hard having to write about eleven characters all at once. I'd rather have a smaller group with all of them talking instead of a large group, and finding little snippets for someone to say something. I feel like I'm not making sense right now :/ but owell!

I recently played L4D2 with my friend The Shining Freak and I watched him do the final map of the Passing. It was hella fun to watch him play as one minute he'd have been taken away by a Jockey, someone else was being charged, and another was avoiding Spitter acid, and darn I couldn't stop laughing. But once I joined, we kicked zombie butt and hauled ass to Jimmy Gibbs!

On a finishing note; Nick ftw!


	26. A Loss of its Own Kind

**Zoey's POV**

"Ellis! Damn it, watch out!" This was the fourth time I'd saved Ellis from the claws of a Hunter and the threat of oncoming infected all because he'd ventured too far, and sought to kill every infected scouring the area without waiting for us.

He laughed, and tried to reload as fast as he possibly could while at least ten infected were clawing at his tunic. They were easily ignored once he had his military rifle secured and shooting each of them until they were dead. "It's okay, Zo! I gawt it!" He took an immediate left into the laundry room and shot the infected that were hiding from _him_!

"Son, you're gonna have to slow down. I ain't as fast as I used to be, kid." I nodded along with Bill's response and pulled Ellis' energetic self away from the infected who were running away from us.

"Save your energy, Ellis. I ain't offering to carry ya sore ass if you run outta gas." Francis grumbled as he took down a Smoker along the rooftops of the alleyway.

"_Is __the __kid __okay? __He __ain__'__t __tirin__' __y__'__all __out __now, __is __he?__" _Coach's voice boomed into my speakers. I let out a chuckle as I secured my own weapon.

"No, I'm not, Coach! I swear!" Ellis answered, despite the fact that Coach couldn't hear him through his speakers.

This made me laugh harder. Thankfully Louis was paying attention and managed to kill an infected before he took a swipe at my helmet. "He's behaving himself, Coach." I replied.

"Dunno how you put up with the kid sometimes. He's too energetic for me, son, no offense." Bill nodded towards Ellis, signifying he hadn't taken offence to his comment.

"S'all good, Bill. Ya better thank me when I have yer back though! I'm a purty darn good shooter, I can tell ya that, and I ain't braggin' nothin'."

"_He__'__s __a __good __kid. __Take __care __of __him. __We__'__re __just __roundin__' __the __block. __We__'__ll __see __y__'__all __at __the __church __safe __room __by __nightfall.__"_

"Sounds good Coach. Stay safe!" I replied.

"_Good __luck __y__'__all!__"_

The speakers turned back to their deafening silence as we trekked past the rubble along the main street of Riverside. I shuddered as I recalled how the Smoker and the Hunter had me incapacitated along the side of the pavement. Thankfully, Ellis' voice alerted me back to the reality of our mission. I replaced my magnum with an AK-47 before Francis helped me up the ladder leading to the office rooms.

"I ever tell y'all 'bout the time my buddy Keith and I were on the top of a burnin' buildin', and we had tuh fight our way down five floors of zombies and – Hey, wait a sec… I guess that was with the other guys. Oh, shit, man, I can't wait tuh tell Keith 'bout that one!"

"That was in Savannah, right? I think you told me about that one." Louis commented as he opened the double doors leading to the main room of computer desks and office chairs.

Ellis slapped his hand over his helmet in exasperation. "Aw yeah, I did! My bad, Louis!" Ellis laughed lightly before patting Louis on the back, and made his way to the exit and stepped outside. I exchanged looks with Francis and Bill, trying to hide my smirk as I recognised how much they wanted to shut Ellis up.

I had to admit, he brought a heap of fun and enjoyment to killing zombies. Without him, we'd all be silent and gruelling over our mission. In a way, Ellis brought life to our group, and it was something that we needed to keep us together, and ultimately, stronger in preparing us for the inevitable battles against the infected. He made ease of every situation, no matter how detrimental. And the occasional joke or two wasn't too difficult to suffice… at least not for Louis and I.

The remainder of our trip was talkative – albeit for Ellis' input – but also quiet, in regards to the infected. We hadn't come across anything immensely dangerous like a Tank, and thankfully, there weren't any frighteningly mutated infected like those from the southern states. I flinched, thinking about Maia's descriptions of the Spitter and the Charger.

"Yeah, y'all are lucky tuh not get them infected up here. They're nasty." I giggled at Ellis' slight involuntary shiver as he recalled previous incidents of having been charged or back-humped by a Jockey.

We passed the Florist car park, as well as the street in which we fought the Tank the last time we were fighting through Riverside. It was eerily quiet now, and I noticed that nothing had changed in the environment. Not that I expected civilisation to rise while we were gone, but I recognised the Tank's decaying body a few metres away from us, and the blackening of the road from where I shot the gas tank. It made me realise how we must be the last survivors left in Pennsylvania.

"Everything's the same." Louis commented, thinking along my same train of thought. "Do you think some other survivors could have passed by through here?" He asked, grimacing at the Tank's immediate closeness to his left.

Bill replied as he threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped on the ashes. "Doubt it. This place hasn't seen life since our last visit."

"I guess." Louis said uneasily. "That's unfortunate though. I mean, so many people lived here, right Zoey?" he asked.

The sudden turn in the conversation caused my hesitation in answering. I gaped, unable to respond. "Uh…"

Ellis cut in. "Aw yeah, yer from Penny aren't ya, Zo? So yer family must be 'round then right? Or did they git evacuated and all before the infection spread?"

I bit my lip. I hadn't been anticipating a conversation like this to happen, but of course, with Ellis around, any conversation was possible. From family, to Keith, to god damn alligators! Bill and Francis sensed my hesitation and acted upon it.

"We're nearing the church soon. If you guys don't shut it we'll let the infected run after you." Francis remarked, before giving me a tight squeeze as we neared the first carpark by the church.

"Hell, me an' Louis can take 'em all! That ain't no problem fer us, Francis."

"Not if I'm the one chasing after you with my shotgun." Francis muttered under his breath. I threw my hand over my mouth and forced a throaty cough as I tried to muffle my laughter from Francis' comment.

At that moment we arrived by the intersection blocked by traffic as the first church of Riverside loomed ahead, only a few feet away. I took a deep breath realising the proximity towards my chosen destination, and I hoped he would be there, the church being the first place we'd first officially… met.

In some far-off chance that he was there, I wasn't going to accept Tokarski's orders of having him medicated. It all seemed too inhumane and unfair in regards to the man, and I couldn't allow myself to do that to him. In a way, I was nervous to approach him a third time, knowing we'd left our last meeting with unfinished business. I still hadn't told my teammates, or anyone else for that matter, that he could talk. I wasn't sure if he could string sentences together, but I knew his ability in being able to talk would count immensely to ensure his humanity was still under a strong hold.

Francis lightly nudged me, drawing my attention away from the church ahead of us as he looped his arm around my shoulders. "You think he'll be around here?" he asked in a quiet tone, not wanting to bring anyone else into the conversation.

I turned behind me to watch as Louis, Ellis and Bill scoured the Quik Buy convenience store. Bill was barking something at both of the men who seemed as if they were receiving a brutal scolding. I smirked slightly and turned back to take in the admirable building before us, a place guaranteed to ensure safety and security, but inevitably, it was just as overrun as the entire suburb.

"I hope so." I responded quietly, squeezing Francis' muscles along his back, trying to keep my breathing calm.

He didn't flinch from my grasp, and instead tightened his own as he gazed back down at me with a worried expression outlining his features. "And what if he's not here?" he asked.

"Then we're fucked." I said simply, stating it matter-of-factly. Francis furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his jaw, unhappy at seeing my impassive expression.

Sudden thumping footsteps came from behind us as Bill roughly grasped a cigarette from his chest pad and lit it, glaring at Francis. "You're taking care of _them_." He motioned his head towards Ellis and Louis who were fighting over who was going to kill the Hunter. "They're a bunch of damn kids." With that said, he stomped away, grumbling unintelligible insults towards them as he neared the church gates.

Francis gently kissed me before staggering towards the two men. Ellis was complaining at having shot the Hunter first, but Louis positively interjected, stating his bullet pierced the Hunter's shoulder. I laughed lightly before following Bill into the courtyard of the church, the white walls crumbling to reveal the cemented bricks underneath the exterior.

I climbed the posted ladder to join him on the second story of the church, just outside the safe room attic. He silently handed me his rifle to hold, as one of his arms reached inside the door and plunged the iron bar from its hinges. With a loud clatter, the bar fell to the floor as the door swung open to reveal the safety of the attic. "Ladies first." Bill motioned, his old fashioned values never faltering – even during a zombie apocalypse.

"Thank you, Sir." I grinned, stepping inside to place my weapons down, and noticing the large, messy scrawling of the church guy's ramblings along the wall. "Nothing new here." I muttered to myself, taking a seat along the edge of the wall. After a few minutes, the three men followed us inside, and Francis tightly locked the door behind him and ventured to sit alongside me as the room fell silent.

Ellis' boots constantly tapped against the frisky floorboards in habit as he gazed around the room in thought. He faced the wall with the church guy's scrawlings, and must have noticed his previous message etched between the lines as he turned to glance at me with a cheeky grin on his face. "So what now y'all? We stayin' here fer the night, or are we gonna check out the area fer abit?" he asked smoothly, fumbling with the cap tucked inside his helmet.

I cut in before anyone could interject. "I want to check out the area. If some of you want to stay inside, that's fine. I just want to go downstairs to the church and look out near the cemetery. There's a possibility he might be here."

Ellis immediately piped up. "We'll I'm cool tuh go! Y'all comin' with?" he searched among the faces of Bill, Louis and Francis, waiting for their answers.

"I'm coming." Francis answered quickly, grasping a hold of my hand.

"We might as well help you out." Louis answered, standing from the floor. "You with us, Bill?"

He grumbled in his spot, dissatisfaction clear on his features. He watched as we all stood to our feet and grasp at our weapons and sighed in frustration. "Ah horseshit. I'm gettin' too old for this." He started to rise from the floor, but Francis stepped over to help him up.

"Up and at 'em old man. We got an infected to find."

I began my descent on the ladder leading to the front room of the church and unlocked the bolted door before us. My sight immediately crept toward the grand piano as the door opened with a creak. But the area was empty with no signs of infected life. My heart physically dropped as a sweat picked up. What if we couldn't find him? What if he wasn't here? Where in the hell would he be?

And most importantly… is he okay? Is he… alive?

"Nothing here." Louis confirmed as he strolled around the back of the church, noticing nothing out of the ordinary.

"We'll try the cemetery." Francis added, trying to re-affirm the infected's whereabouts, and to give me a sliver of hope in finding him here.

We jumped out of the wreckage of the church wall and leapt over the sandbags along the edge of the church's perimeter. Despite the darkness of the early dusk, there was no sign of any infected life. Not even a body idly standing by the stone wall or one lazing among the grass. There was nothing.

"This doesn't look good." I commented, sharing a glance with the guys around me. "I feel like…" I couldn't finish my sentence. There was something wrong here.

Ellis sidled up next to me, waving a hand in front of my face to get me out of my daze. "What's goin' on Zo? What'cha feelin'?"

"I think something happened here. There's a reason why there's no infected around. I'm pretty sure there was some sort of incident." I couldn't make sense of the situation; it was eerily peculiar at how silent and secure things were out here.

"Like what? Something to do with the military?" Bill asked, trumping toward the shed to search inside. In that moment, I was sure he knew of the military's plans to bomb the country. Conducting himself in a military fashion, maybe the thought might have crossed his own mind.

"Not necessarily." I answered stiffly. "I-I don't know." I fumbled with my choice of words. "I just know something isn't right. I don't know what to do." It was in this moment that I truly felt we were at a loss.

"Let's continue on." Francis suggested. "We don't have to go as far as the train yard, but we'll check out that abandoned house south of here. We could find something inside there." I loved Francis for his decisions, as I knew he was doing it out of the goodness of his heart to see me happy, and for us to find the infected man. It made me realise that Francis wouldn't give up, despite the loss of his whereabouts, until we knew exactly where to find him and how to transport him back to the evacuation station.

And then this made me realise that I'd doubted my decision. I was ultimately considering giving up my search, all because I'd failed at finding him near the church. What kind of leader was I if I couldn't stick to my decision, or if I gave up too easily?

Not a good one, that's for sure.

"Let's go to the house." I affirmed to my comrades, giving Francis a wink as Ellis led us out of the cemetery, passing the church gates.

It was then that the static in my earpiece hitched in volume. I rapidly grasped onto the system by my ear and lowered the transmission. I realised the others had done the exact same thing.

And then, without a second passing, we heard six consecutive shouts of "_TAAAAAANK_!"

* * *

**Maia's POV**

The Tank pounded closer, his thundering footsteps fissuring the concrete beneath our feet. His loud and menacing roar instilled a deadly silence in the street we inhabited as the common infected fled in fear. I posted myself on top of a dilapidated Ford Pinto and positioned my M60 along the length of my thigh to grant me added support as I throttled an entire clip into the savagely toned torso of his back.

With so many survivors huddled into one street, the Tank had little idea of which direction to pursue. His anger reached its limits as he boomed after me – his chosen target.

"Daniel!" I shouted at the shadow behind me, and gently threw my M60 horizontally toward him. He caught it smoothly, as I had little time left to clasp onto the handle of my Silenced SMG before launching myself off the Pinto.

Seconds afterwards, the Tank stopped by the car I had previously resided and grasped at the rusty blue metal that was effortlessly picked up with his monstrous sized arms. He viciously hurtled the vehicle in my direction, but I easily dodged the incoming threat as I dived to the side of the road, onto the pavement of the street.

I landed awkwardly, and skinned my left knee as it scraped against the concrete, but thanks to the added support of our uniforms, I had merely scuffed the fabric of my tunic, and willed the pain to go away.

"_C__'__mon __girl. __Up __and __at__ '__em.__" _I heard Coach's voice through my speakers and turned to face in his direction, when all I saw was Matthew running toward me.

"Don't think about the pain Maia." Matthew crouched down next to me, and offered me his hand. I took it thankfully and plastered myself on two steady feet. "We still gotta take care of him." And with that said, he tore off after the Tank who pursued Rochelle and Nick. I caught my breath and reloaded my SMG before venturing after them.

I nodded my thanks as I passed Daniel who had easily disposed of the empty M60. He ran alongside me as we gradually closed the distance between us and the rest of the group.

"Damn it Rochelle!" Nick cussed, as Rochelle had grabbed a hold of his arm just in time for them to avoid the slab of cement heading their way.

"Take it down! Shoot the damn thing!" Rochelle shouted. Her movements were sloppy which caused the majority of her bullets to sway and hit the Tank in ineffective spots. But I could detect how exhausted and frightened Rochelle appeared, and tried not to blame her for her inaccuracies.

"C'mon big stuff! Over here you hunk of shit!" I grabbed at an unlit Molotov cocktail and pitched the bottle at the back of his disproportioned head. Rage pierced his exterior features as he howled into the early morning and stalked after my frenzied footsteps. I paced myself at a decent speed and turned around to clip him directly in the face.

He stumbled with the impact of the bullets, as blood painted his face in what appeared to be a deformed artwork. His stumble only brought him closer to Daniel, who had been tailing him. The Tank realised how close he was to death, and launched himself at Daniel's body, hurling him high above the air.

"_Daniel!__"_ I didn't even hear the intensity of my screams as the Tank launched him higher. Shouts and screams pierced the atmosphere but all I could inevitably focus on was Daniel's flailing body and shouts of pain.

The Tank released him then, and sent Daniel's body throttling metres away from our throng. His body collapsed awkwardly and we all heard a sickening _crack_ as his body fell motionlessly.

"_Daniel, __I__'__m __coming!__"_ There were no other thoughts in my head besides Daniel in that moment. I ignored the Tank's whereabouts and the shouts of the group behind me as I sprinted and pushed my tiresome legs towards the limp body at the end of the street. I skidded along the road and landed with his head in my lap, slapping it in a daze as I tried to get a response from him.

"Daniel! You have to get up!" His body wasn't reacting. There was no movement. No pulse. No life. I felt my heart beat twice as fast, as if it were beating on behalf of Daniel too. "Get the _fuck_ up Daniel! You have to help us fight!" I continued to slap his face, trying to ignite some form of response to let me know he was still there.

And then I felt a body on my left as he took Daniel from my arms and cradled him closer. I didn't realise I was crying until my eyesight became fuzzy and blurry. I hastily wiped the tears away, trying to search for Daniel's familiar face. His limp body was held in the arms of Matthew, who caressed Daniel's head, also trying to remove the tears that spilled down his cheeks.

I could hear him mumbling unintelligibly in a soft voice that I didn't realise he had. "I'm sorry Daniel. So sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry I let that Hunter attack you when we first met. I-I thought you were infected." Matthew's own body seemed to be quivering. I tried to swallow my emotions away as I clutched onto him, and leant my head on Matthew's shoulder, my face directly above Daniel's. "I'm sorry the Witch chose to attack you instead of me. I'm sorry I didn't help you and Maia out sooner when I realised a horde had appeared." Matthew's voice dropped to a deadly low whisper as he spoke his final words to a friend he'd grown accustomed to in this world gone to hell. "I'm so s-sorry Daniel."

We stayed in that position for an endless amount of time. I couldn't bring myself to leave his body here, but there was no way to carry him with us in our state. I felt the sorrow pierce my emotions as my heart beat heavily in my chest, forcing myself to keep the tears inside. I couldn't break down now. Not yet. Not in front of these people. But with my emotions locked away inside me, this only allowed my rage to build up in a torrent of fury.

"Shit! Fucking _shit!_ Why the fuck did this have to happen?" I ripped off my helmet and shoved it into the ground, cracking the sight screen and the neck guard. Oh how much I wanted to physically hit someone… but I knew how wrong that sounded. I couldn't let such emotions get the better of me.

"This wasn't supposed to happen." I whispered, holding myself together in an attempt to recognise to the others how well I could handle these situations. "We weren't supposed to lose anyone." I was breathing haggardly again, trying to contain the sorrowful emotions uneasily thickening inside me.

"I'm so sorry for your loss Maia." It was Rochelle's voice I recognised. I turned to face her, and realised her group were a few feet away from us, granting us privacy for our lost teammate. The Tank lay dead along the pavement a few feet away from us. Rochelle awkwardly stepped closer, almost as if she were expecting me to lash out at her. Once she was close enough, she gripped my shoulder tightly, offering me her support. I collapsed under the pressure and pulled her in for a hug, trying to draw strength from her to endure the remainder of this mission. She flinched slightly upon my initial contact, considering I had wanted to hit her, but she warmed up to me in an instant and tried to hush my pleas.

After what seemed like hours later, Matthew pulled me away from Rochelle and pulled me into him instead, burying his face into the crook of my collarbone. I held onto him, Daniel's scent lingering on the tunic of Matthew's fabric painfully reminding me of our loss.

"I think it's time we get goin' y'all. Zoey…" Coach paused for an awkward moment and shared a glance with Rochelle. "Zoey wants to know what's happened."

I realised then that I had heard her voice through my speakers, but my emotions hadn't let me recognise or respond to her pleas. I grudgingly picked up my helmet and placed it back securely on my head. Immediately, I could hear her frenzied voice growing in tumult.

"_Maia? __Coach? __Damn __it, __someone __answer __me! __What__'__s __going __on? __What __happened? __Is __everyone __okay? __Someone __respond!__" _I glanced back at Coach, motioning for him to reply as I solemnly looked down upon Daniel's frozen body. _I__'__m __sorry__…_

Coach dipped his head and took a few steps away from the group. I heard his muffled voice as he lowly revealed what had happened to Zoey. Despite him whispering, I could still hear his words, and flinched when he spoke Daniel's name. "It's Daniel." He spoke lowly, trying to ensure we wouldn't hear anything. "Zoey, he didn't make it. I'm sorry."

There was silence over the speakers. I realised that I didn't want to hear Zoey's response, as it would only ignite further rampant emotions from me, so I removed my helmet a second time and waited for the inevitable.

"Zoey, calm down girl –" Coach paused for a few moments, nodding his head continuously. " – yes, we're fine." His head flicked up towards me, but once he realised I caught his eye sight, he looked towards the floor. "She'll be okay." Of course Zoey would have asked about me. It was just the person Zoey was, and I admired her for it.

They exchanged further words, none of which I heard as I rejoined Daniel's body as Matthew helped me place him in the garden of a nearby house. I ripped overgrown flowers from their beds and placed them over Daniel's heart in gratitude of his life… and his death.

Our teammates joined us then in a silent farewell. Matthew's hand clutched my own as we stared down at the body of our lost teammate.

Coach's voice was the first to break the silence. "Ev'ryone grab a hand. We'll be sharin' a prayer with our friend, Daniel here." I noticed Nick hesitated at first, but then he scowled and grabbed Rochelle's hand, who was next to Coach. I held onto Matthew's as Coach's large palm embraced my right hand.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

_I'm sorry, Daniel._

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."

_I'll miss you. Thank you for everything._

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."

_I'll never forget you. You've made me so proud. _

* * *

**Zoey's POV**

Bill picked me up off my feet and led me into the kitchen of the abandoned house, away from the solemn looks of the other men. He placed both hands on my shoulders and gave me a level, direct stare. "Don't let this affect you, Zoey. Don't blame yourself for the fella's death. I know what you're like."

"If they didn't come –"

"That's bullshit." Bill cut in, tightening his hold on me. "It was their choice whether they wanted to pursue this task with us. The events that take place here are _not_ your fault."

I shook my head, ignoring his comments. How could I have let them join us? What was reeling through my mind at the time to have them accompanying us? It was a selfish and stupid mistake. "They should leave. Everyone should leave before something bad happens again. I couldn't deal with another death on my hands." I glanced down at my hands then, noticing the blood smears of the infected since our return to Riverside. I felt an immense cloud of guilt for my actions.

Bill's tight grip faltered as his fingers clasped my chin in an attempt to make me look at him. "Damn it Zoey, this isn't your fault!"

"Bill –"

Another voice cut me off. Would I ever be allowed to express myself? "He's right ya'know. None of this ain't yer fault, Zo. Ya gotta stop blamin' yerself for actions that had nothin' tuh do with ya in the firs' place."

I gripped my hair, thoroughly frustrated with myself. But their words provided me with resolve and a hint of the truth. None of it had been my fault.

"Listen to the old man, babe." Francis joined us in the room and leant against the wall frame as he crossed his arms boldly. "I hate seein' the guilt on your face. You gotta deal with your own problems, and they'll deal with theirs."

I smiled slightly, despite the solemn situation as Louis joined the party. "Listen to us men, Zo. We know what we're talking about." He coaxed a smile out of me and the rest of the throng as I tried to put the death behind me. It was a shame to have lost a teammate in our mission, but in reality, we'd be gaining so much more. In consequence for the death of our friend, we were restoring mankind and humanity back on Earth. Some lives had to be lost in order for others to be saved.

"Well." Bill interrupted the silence as he lit a cigarette. "We should probably head back to the safe room." he said as he lightly clasped his trustworthy assault rifle and motioned for us to follow him.

Louis eagerly nodded. "Yeah, these woods give me the creeps!" Louis fumbled with his holster before securing a weapon in his hands and following Bill out the door. Ellis jumped at the opportunity of leaving and giddily left soon after.

"You think these woods are creepy?" Ellis replied. "I ever tell you 'bout the time when Keith and I…" His voice trailed along with him, as I was left with Francis in the abandoned house.

He made eye contact with me and lightly stepped toward me, easily pulling me into the warmth of his arms. "Don't ever blame yourself again, darl. If anyone even decides to put the blame on you, they'll hafta go through me first!" I smiled nervously, and kissed his sweaty cheek as he grabbed a hold of my hand and led me outside, following the flashlights of Bill's leading rifle.

"You don't think they will… blame me, do you?" I asked once we passed the ambulance along the street. Francis' grip tightened on my waist as his gaze pierced the environment around us, ensuring we were safe from any lurking infected.

"They better prepare themselves for what's comin' if they do. I won't let their words hurt ya, Zo. And I think I can say the same for Ellis." His voice sounded rough. His hand tightened again as he voiced Ellis' name.

"And Bill." I took a deep breath. I knew they'd always have my back.

"And Grandpa."

We passed the entrance into the cemetery and shot at a few infected that had turned up since our departure. I watched up ahead as Louis and Ellis entered the church from the broken wall, all except Bill who trumped along the exterior in scavenge for supplies. I don't know why he'd begin to search for anything, because we had all the supplies we needed attached to our uniforms already.

Nonetheless, I didn't stop Bill from searching for anything important. But then Bill stiffened in his spot. My blood ran cold as I heard his shrill shouts. I bounded out of Francis' arms, just in time for me to hear Bill's bewildered voice. "Zoey! _Zoey!_ It's him! He's here!"

The closer I approached to Bill, I dropped all of my weapons and threw my helmet off before I backed up into Bill who kept me at bay from the creature on the floor.

"_Shit._"

At the floor by our feet was my infected friend. I pushed Bill out of the way, despite his efforts of trying to keep me safe and away from him. Bending down, I placed my hand over his neck, his black eyes as deep and penetrating as the midnight sky stared up at me with alarm and unease. Upon recognition, he gasped and clutched onto my left arm, almost as if he were pleading for me to help him up.

But his hold loosened as he fell back down along the grass, his weary gaze disappeared as he closed his eyes in exhaustion. I took in his entire appearance and noticed his shredded black clothing caused by the claws of other infected, and the blood, cuts and bruises smeared and swelling along the length of his light grey arms and radiant face.

It was then that I looked down upon the grass and noticed the thick puddle of blood around his body.

* * *

A/N: I admit, I was pretty teary-eyed as I wrote Daniel's death, I think its because I'm too in touch with my characters. But I love them all anyway, and RIP Daniel, for you will be missed!

On a happier note, you guys are freakin' awesome for keeping in touch with this story as it's topped 17000 hits! So a huge thank you goes to my readers out there, because without y'all, this story wouldn't have made it as far as I initially planned.

See you at the next update!


	27. Plight Flight

"Ho-lee shit." Ellis cussed, taking in the appearance of the infected man for the first time.

I stared incredulously at the display before me, because surely, this wasn't real. This couldn't have happened. Not at this moment. Not when we'd come so far.

He couldn't be dead… could he?

Obviously, there was enough evidence to prove that he definitely could be, but I wasn't going to give up yet. I would help him no matter the circumstances.

"Pass me a health kit, Francis." I voiced out. There was an awkward silence behind me. I heard the slow, thudding footsteps of Francis' boots approach me from behind.

His hand secured my shoulder, and even though I was wearing a thick military uniform, my skin warmed up from his touch. "I don't think that's such a good idea, doll." He whispered to me calmly, almost as if he expected me to lash out at him violently.

For once, I looked away from the infected on the floor and met Francis' cool grey eyes, eyes that could melt any frustrated thoughts, thoughts that could be harmful one moment, to heated and sensual the next. "It's okay, Francis. We can help him. Just hand me a health kit, please."

A calming reaction startled Francis the most, as he furrowed his eyebrows – he really had been expecting a hazardous response – and drew away to produce a health pack. I waited patiently, trying to steady my breathing, all the while maintaining a calming face for the anxious men staring worriedly at me. Francis returned a few minutes later, health kit in hand, and spilled the contents among the moist grass.

I picked up the bandages, antiseptic creams and tonics and started working on his left arm. Minutes passed, and it felt as if the entire world had been plunged into silence. I sighed, halting my work on the infected and turned to face my team.

"What does it take to get some help around here, guys?" I asked.

"Right, sorry!"

"O'course."

"Sure, kid."

"You got it." They all cooed loyally.

I was thankful that Tokarski allowed us to take a considerate number of health kits for our journey. Despite the fact that none of us had desperately needed one _this time around, _I wasn't going to let _him _die when he could be revived and patched up – no matter if he was infected or not. It was time the team considered him as one of us, rather than one of _them_.

Louis applied several tonics among his wounds to ensure they wouldn't further infect and cause hazardous side effects that could affect the outcome of our plan. Call me crazy – which I'm sure they're all thinking – but I wasn't going to lose this opportunity, or take any side steps that could puncture our chances of curing the zombie apocalypse.

Francis wrapped bandages over the wounds Louis was finished with. With careful precision, Francis delicately wrapped his wounded areas as if he were treating a young child. I couldn't help but smile at watching such a display of emotion from Francis. This meant as much to him as it did to me.

Bill and Ellis used damp washcloths to remove the traces of blood from his grey skin, the colours contrasted so brilliantly, it was startling to view the amount of blood and gore that had been splattered or physically taken from him. We were all so used to seeing him as clean, with little or no tears in his clothing and all devoid of blood and scars.

"I think we should get him inside. Who knows what's lurking out around here." Louis said warily, keeping a keen eye on our immediate surroundings. Bill nodded, agreeing with his statement.

I looked towards Francis. "Do you think you and Louis can carry him inside the safe room?" I asked. Without hesitation, Francis grabbed a hold of the man and Louis helped bring him to his feet. One arm was cast over Louis' shoulder, as was the other over Francis'.

"Is he heavy?" Ellis asked, alarmed at their slow pace. "Do y'all need some help?"

"We're fine." Francis answered gruffly. Bill cast a sideways glance at me and smirked. He gathered the contents of the health kit and motioned me inside.

* * *

"We're comin' 'round Quik Buy, we'll see y'all in a bit." Coach voiced through the speakers.

"Right." Bill replied into his microphone, "We'll secure the door once everyone's in."

Shortly after we laid the man down to rest, we received the whereabouts of the other squad and filled them in on our current situation. Bill knew it was a good idea to let them know that the man was accompanying the safe room with us so as to prepare themselves for the scene they were about to stumble in on.

No one else, besides my original team, had ever laid eyes on the infected man. Considering Nick and Rochelle's unsettled and disgusted views towards him once I first told them, I knew they would be uncomfortable being near such a figure, and for that, I was worried if anyone else would accept him for the way he was. Most importantly, I was concerned about Maia and Matthew's views towards this special infected, as only hours ago, one of their teammates had just been killed by one too.

Even though _my _special infected friend wasn't anything like a Tank, it wasn't going to be easy to convince them that he was anything but harmful.

Voices were suddenly heard below the attic of the church, and I could distinctly hear Nick's constant complaints about the unfair occurrences that always happened to affect him.

"Did you just kick dirt onto my shoe?"

To that, there was no answer.

"Sweetheart, don't do that again."

It was then that Coach's head popped up into view as he sidled into the window of the attic, Rochelle and Matthew climbing in afterwards. "Howdy y'all." He said solemnly. Maia and Nick arrived next, and everyone planted their weapons by the table and took a seat along the dusty floorboards. "Glad tuh have found shelter."

Nick cussed silently to himself, eye-rolling Coach's comment as he cleaned what appeared to be grime or dried blood from his fingernails. It was obvious that the group had collided into trouble, much more than we ever would have anticipated.

I thought it was time someone had to speak up on account of the unnerving silence. "I'm glad to see everyone's okay." I said softly, meeting eyes with the newly arrived group. Maia's eyes caught mine and she threw me a hard look. I was momentarily caught off guard, surprised at receiving such a disgruntled look and mentally kicked myself for forgetting about Daniel's absence. Clearly, thinking about the infected man's conditions had briefly stubbed other, more important considerations. "I mean, it's good to be in a large group again." Pause_. _"So we're all in safer hands." Awkward pause_. _"So that–"

"I think what Zoey means to say," Bill interrupted – thankfully, "is that we all give our condolences for your loss. We're sorry for having to bear witness to such tragic news." Bill removed his beret and bowed his head.

"Thank you." Maia mumbled softly. Matthew, who was seated next to her, reached over and hugged her closer, comforting her fragile state.

Bill grunted uncomfortably, awkwardly fiddling with his beret. "But we have other affairs that need to be addressed." He nodded toward Francis and I who had taken a position so as to shield the man's body from their view.

I spotted Rochelle flinching as she looked from Bill to Francis, and lastly ended her sight on mine, her mouth agape. "Where is… he?" She was blanched on her last choice of words, and refrained herself from using an offending term like 'it' to describe him, I noticed. She peered behind my silhouette and found her answer. Her eyes bulged wide.

"He ain't gonna hurt ya, Ro." Ellis piped in, moving to sit next to me. I watched as he boldly stared down the other group. "Y'all have nothin' tuh worry 'bout. He's practic'lly harmless, he wouldn't even hurt a fly." Ellis paused for one second, blushing faintly. "I mean… only if it didn't provoke him none. Y'all just hafta trust us, and trust me 'specially, Ro, I won't let no harm come tuh ya."

"Alright, pipe down." Nick cut in. "Let's just see him already."

"Nick." Coach warned. I saw a smile tug on Matthew's lips. Maia remained motionless, almost as if she weren't listening.

Francis nudged me lightly, signalling me to move my body so everyone could lay eyes on him. Louis helped me up as I went to stand by Bill against the side wall. Coach and Nick stepped up to view him first, not at all frightened.

"He looks…normal." Nick commented. In other words, he looked like any other freak lurking about town. "Is he even alive?" I saw Nick's boot flinch slightly, almost as if he wanted to kick him awake.

"Alright, show's over Suit. Step aside." Francis buffeted. I knew then that he must have caught Nick's movement. Nick didn't show a fight, but was suddenly disinterested in the man and remained in his initial position by the front metal door.

Matthew, intrigued by the figure, slowly stood and hoisted Maia off the floor and closed the distance toward the infected man. I hoped it would distract Maia from her thoughts for the time being. But as she looked down upon him, I could tell in her facial expression that she was merely bored, or perhaps, tired. Matthew remained there instead, watching the man with a calm face.

"Ya gunna take a look Ro?" Coach asked, smiling slightly towards her. She raised her thumb to her lip and bit down on it, frowning at the motionless figure on the floor.

"He won't wake up?" She asked hesitantly.

Coach walked toward her and grabbed a hold of her hand, moving her slowly forward. "No, Ro, he won't wake up." She approached closer, eyeing his serrated, black claws with surprise and concern.

Rochelle's figure relaxed slightly, showing unclear signs of whether she was frightened or not. She eyed me speculatively. "He does look normal."

"Like a human." Matthew commented.

Rochelle nodded, agreeing with his statement. "I think it's just the claws and his skin tone that give him away." She laughed lightly, and pointed at him. "I guess the dried blood and scratches do too." Her interest in the man was overwhelmingly shocking, but I internally shrugged it off and smiled instead.

"He's really not the monster that some people think he is." I glared toward Nick in the back, but he was clearly thinking of other matters, like which washing detergent would effectively remove the stains from his white suit, or where to obtain a pack of cards. "He seems to like me, I guess." I turned my sight back to Rochelle. "So he won't harm the ones I love."

"So how long does this paralyse vaccine work for?" Coach questioned.

Bill stiffened next to me. Louis, Francis and Ellis looked toward Coach and I, all probably wondering the same thing.

"Forty-eight hours." I mumbled softly.

"So how long has it been?" Rochelle asked.

I swallowed nervously and shifted my gaze towards the non-descript corner of the attic ceiling, trying to look as if I was consumed by other thoughts, though I know it failed miserably. "I uh," I scratched at my eyebrow consciously. "I think it's," Who would have thought lying to these people would be so hard?

By now, I was receiving weird looks from everyone in the room, including Maia who suddenly found interest in something other than the floor.

To hell with it, I thought. "I haven't used it… and I'm probably not going to."

Matthew and Coach exchanged glances. Rochelle stood forward, realised her proximity towards the man, and swiftly stepped back, all the while holding an indignant look on her face. "Why the hell not, Zoey?"

Nick stepped forward then and pushed Rochelle back lightly, "Now hang on a minute, Ro." He turned his gaze towards me. "You're sayin' that thing is going to wake up?" He pointed toward the man as if he were a rabid dog, which to them, he probably was. "You don't seem to realise, cupcake, that that… _thing_… is going to attack us if he wakes up."

"Wadaya mean if he wakes up, Nick?" Ellis cut in. "Yuh sayin' he won't wake up?"

"I'm saying that I can prevent certain _things_ from happening, Overalls!" Nick snapped back.

"Now, wait a minute!" I barked back at him. "Don't you even try anything, Colonel Sanders!"

"I can't believe everyone's arguing again." I heard Louis mutter. I couldn't hear much else though, as the room was suddenly shrouded in shouts. If it weren't for the tiny room space, I would have tackled Nick down on the floor for all I cared. At least… I may have had Francis help me first…

"Everybody shut your trap! This isn't the place or time to be fighting, damn it! Are you all stupid in remembering that behind this wall is a town crawling with infected?" Bill's voice penetrated the walls of the church attic, and hushed our argument… for the time being. "I'm the leader here and I'm the one who's smart enough not to get everyone killed. Now if you listen to what I have to say, we can make it out of here alive! Now quit horse-shitting each other, and gain some damn respect!" Bill barked, stomping his boots and pointing his finger as he completely silenced the room.

"I'm not here to take orders, old man." Nick glared, his green eyes shining with malice.

"Maybe not from him," Coach disciplined. "But from me, you do, kid." He shifted his attention to Bill. "What do you have to say?"

Bill relaxed back against the wall and retrieved a cigarette from his jacket pocket. "Look, the kid might not even wake up." He paused to light his cigarette. "But we can use him to our advantage. He won't hurt any of Zoey's friends." Bill glared back at Nick. "So if he does wake up, he'll easily take us to safety. Maybe even take on a Witch for us this time…"

"Bill." I warned. "No."

"You know… that would help." Matthew added.

I turned my glare towards him. "No!"

"See, I thought so too, man!" Ellis grinned as he high fived Matt's hand.

"I said no, damn it!"

"Alright, cut it out." Francis butt in as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "So what now, Pop?"

"I think we should stay the night in." Francis' face fell. "The other team deserves that." He flicked his cigarette to the floor and crushed it to ashes, scarring the wooden boards. "We'll leave in the morning."

"So if that thing ain't wakin' up, you expect us to what, _carry_ it?" Nick scowled, his voice escalating throughout the sentence.

Bill turned towards him and grinned widely. "You got that right, kid."

* * *

"Can't believe I'm touching one of these."

"Do you ever stop fucking whining?" Francis snapped at Nick. I met Rochelle's glance and we shared a smile.

The boathouse would be looming up ahead in a few minutes; the same catastrophe we escaped from now had to be repeated. We had a sufficient team, along with great numbers, but some expertise would have to be sacrificed to care for the infected, which a majority of us, agreed upon.

We were able to pass through Riverside breezily, as after travelling back and forth through the streets; many of the infected had already been killed. With a team as large as ours, even though we attracted more attention, we were also able to eradicate innumerable zombies that threatened our group stability. I felt as if I'd seen enough of Riverside. It was my home, but seeing it time and time again in a state as destructive as this, didn't count as a home for me anymore. I was ready to move on.

Our group had already bypassed the campsite metres from the boathouse. It was Nick and Francis who held the man's torso, with Matthew and Louis supporting his legs. That left Coach, Bill and Ellis along with Rochelle, Maia and I to cover the men.

Maia still hadn't spoken very much, only muttering a few words and stringing together a number of sentences, but her mind was clearly still on the loss of Daniel, to which I was sympathetic for. The loss of a comrade is never easy. She narrowly avoided a Hunter's leap, and also quite a number of broken tree branches that were camouflaged against the grass, that could have easily caused her to stumble over.

I stood by her as added protection, I guess it was a way for her to realise that I was sorry for her loss, and that I wasn't about to lose another member of our party due to reckless incidents.

"We should place him upstairs." Louis grunted under the impact of holding the infected man. "Keep him in the room and we can take turns to watch him."

"We all have work to do, we should only keep one person guarding him." Matthew commented.

"I agree." Coach added hastily. He grabbed at a few magazines to reload his auto shotgun.

"We can station ourselves so that we're also protecting the guardian. With a number of ten, anything is possible if we work together effectively." Bill added nobly.

Ellis nodded, folding his arms across his chest and grinned. "Well, anybody wanna volunteer tuh be guardian?"

It was then that nine pairs of eyes simultaneously turned in my direction.

I sighed. "How nice of you all to volunteer." I muttered dryly. "I'll be upstairs."

To that, everybody gathered a stack of magazines for their chosen weapon and headed to several posts within the framework of the boathouse. I was stationed upstairs in the top corner behind the staircase. Rochelle was directly opposite me, with Maia holding out just outside on the balcony behind the broken-down door. Coach was several feet to the left of her.

Meanwhile, Francis, Nick and Ellis positioned themselves along the roof outside the window beside me. Bill, with his crafty military expertise, was going to conduct the military minigun and Louis and Matthew would be covering Bill from behind.

"Alright folks, ev'rybody ready? I'm gonna alert John Slater so we can get the hell outta here!" Coach boomed as he headed downstairs.

I ensured my weapon was fully loaded and then checked on the man behind me. He was breathing slowly – thankfully – but there was no time to tell how much longer he'll be unconscious for. The only thought that concerned me was having to carry him down to the docks whilst surrounded by infected. But we'd have to deal with that once the time came.

A warm hand clamped down on my shoulder which startled me from my fixation on the man. I stood quickly and was met with Louis' anxious expression. "Hey buddy, are you ready to kick some zombie ass?" I joked, trying to lighten the situation.

"You know I am, girl." He smiled warily. "But there's something I thought you should know."

My heart jumped. What now? More bad news? 'Cause to tell you the truth, I was sick of hearing bad news. "What is it? What's the problem?" I asked alarmingly.

"Whoa, girl, don't freak out on me. Everything's fine. I just thought you should know that he moved."

I looked back down to the man and then back at Louis. "He moved how?"

"When I was holding him earlier, his leg sorta kicked me. He, like, jolted and he almost got me in the face. All I'm saying is that he could become conscious during the fight."

I gasped lightly, my eyes seemingly wide. "Thanks for letting me know, I guess. In that case, I hope he comes round."

He nodded and patted my arm. "Me too, Zo. And don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for you." He left just as Coach was climbing the stairs and positioned himself beside Matthew.

"Alright, y'all! Help's on its way! The only problem is that Nick and Francis will have to jump down to the electrical box at the front of the house." Coach added.

"What the hell for?" Nick shouted from outside.

"Slater said with the sun settin' and all, he'll need to see where 'bouts the dock is, so you two will hafta turn on the lights."

"Do it now! Before the infected notice us!" I shouted to them.

Nick's face appeared by my window. "You do realise, cupcake, that turning on the lights will be our death sentence!"

"Listen here, Suit, just turn on the damn lights so Slater can find us, because without him coming, that's our death sentence!" I snapped back.

Lights suddenly illuminated the exterior balconies and surroundings, it was shockingly bright compared to the placid darkness we'd had accompanying us moments beforehand. Thudding footsteps entered the house downstairs and bolted up toward us. Francis' figure approached from behind me.

"Gotta do things my damn self around here!" Francis barked at Nick as he returned to his spot. However, he never left the room without winking at me. To that, my heart began to flutter as I grinned goofily.

"Hold it together, y'all! He'll be here in ten!" And with that came the screeching cries of the infected within the area.

It was all too easy. Most of the work was performed by the men outside, and hardly any infected were able to reach us from the inside. My only worry was the front door. If the infected were able to, or smart enough, to sneak along the right side of the house, they could easily bypass Maia's watch, and could manoeuvre passed Nick's gaze.

There was nothing to stop them from clambering up the stairs and coming full throttle towards Rochelle and I.

Realising this, I moved from my position and crouched at the top of the stairs, and as if on cue, several infected blew down the door and fought their way inside. Rochelle, also now realising this too, shifted her position so she could help me out, but also kept an eye on Maia and Coach.

During this, I could hear several shouts from our team, and I easily recognised Francis' and Nick's shouts. Ellis' were drowned out by the use of the minigun. As much as I wanted to help them out, and to see what the hell they were screaming about, I remained in position, and I knew that Bill and Ellis would do anything to cover them if something were to happen.

There was a beeping sound. As the seconds passed, the ticking increased in pitch. I cringed as I heard the familiar explosion of the pipe bomb seconds later, and could imagine the gore that splattered and the bones that crunched along the grass.

"Zoey!" It was Rochelle's voice.

As I reloaded my AK-47 I turned to meet her gaze before taking on the next wave of infected. "What is it?"

"Zoey, it's the infected!" she shouted.

I grunted as I pulled the trigger and tore down the second wave that ended up in a pile of blood and flesh along the floorboards. The sight was sickening to witness… and I wasn't even going to start on the smell. "It's okay, I got it."

"No!" She shouted again. My ears were ringing by this point. "Zoey, I meant your infected!"

Reloading again, I sent her an aghast look and snapped. "I'm not infected, Rochelle!"

"Your infected man is waking up, Zoey!"

Now the bells were going off in my head. I tore my sight to the opposite side of the stairs and watched as his eyelids fluttered open. "Take my position!" I screamed towards Rochelle. Stretching my tensed legs, I stumbled over to the man and fell to my knees, taking his head into my hands.

I reached for his pulse and felt the steady beat of his heart. His eyes opened slowly, tenaciously, and all I could see was the radiant darkness of his vision. He was startlingly beautiful.

After cringing from the sharpness of the light, he was able to perceive what was in front of him. Immediately upon recognising an unfamiliar surrounding, he gasped and flew backwards, only to collide with the wall. I reached out to help him, but his hands grasped for my neck instead.

My eyes were wide open and I could feel the jagged point of his claw along my jugular and dared not to move. Any sudden movement would lead to the likelihood of my death.

He realised his position, and realised who I was before he flew off me in a second and grabbed at his own head. "Sorry." He gasped out.

I swallowed, trying to hold back tears and reached for him, taking him into my embrace. "It's okay." I let go hastily, trying to calm myself down in the process. "We're taking you to safety."

I don't know whether he could understand me as of yet, but he nodded anyway and stood from the floor. He stretched his unused muscles and slashed at the wall beside him, which opened up to the scene behind the wall. All I could distinctly see were several bodies of the undead.

"Don't hurt yourself." I stared at him hard. "Please, just stay safe."

He smiled, his claws reaching for my hand…

"Boat's gonna be here in three minutes!" Coach shouted over the immense screeches of the weapons and the infected. "Haul ass to the docks!"

"Y'all don't forget the man!" Ellis shouted from outside.

His gaze turned towards me worriedly. "It's okay!" I shouted back through the window. "He's awake!"

"He's awake?" Nick screeched, shoving his head inside a second time. Upon seeing the infected, he flinched backwards. "Fuck!"

"_I said haul ass_!"

With Coach's last sentiment, we bounded downstairs, taking as many infected down as we could, all the while staying in groups of two or three, making our way down as safely as possible. We were met with solid resistance, but with ten sets of weaponry and one badass set of Witch claws, nothing could get in our way.

"Do you guys feel that?" Matthew gaped as he reached the dock.

"Feel what?" Maia grimaced, taking a hold of her rifle more securely.

There was no denying the faint, rumbling vibrations of the ground. "Tank." I breathed.

Maia met my gaze, her face was devoid of any emotion.

"Prepare yourselves. We're not going down without a fight." Bill said, arming himself with his trusty assault rifle.

Rochelle stepped forward grudgingly. "Over there!" She pointed towards the direction of the woods in the far right corner of the field. Ten sets of eyes followed hers to the sight of a Tank pounding its way towards us, followed by an entire horde of infected.

"Pipe bomb." I mumbled dubiously.

I didn't see who threw it, but all that caught my vision was our special infected man following the emitting beats of the bomb, his speed catching up to it rapidly.

"What the hell is he doing?" Francis shouted.

"Good riddance." Nick muttered.

He was almost at it. The bomb was to go off in seconds. But in that time frame, the infected man sagged his body downwards and relieved a green, smelly substance that shot out and flew behind the infected crowd.

Bile. The attracting and satisfying smell of bile. What infected wouldn't love that?

By that time, the pipe bomb exploded, sending the Tank stumbling to his right, and the infected man flying off and smashing into the ground harshly to his left.

"NO!" Without intuition, my feet led me forward, but a solid strong arm held me back.

"Hold up." Bill breathed.

I watched, dumbfounded, as the infected man struggled to stand to his feet, but he pushed himself harder, regaining his standing position, and bounded after the Tank who was in shooting distance to those who wielded rifles.

The man dived for the body of the Tank and slashed one of his serrated claws through his muscular skin. The Tank roared and flung the man off as if he weighed nothing more than a feather, but at least, he was side-tracked.

Those with the rifles began their gunfire on the Tank, carefully avoiding the man's whereabouts. I watched as he sprinted for the Tank, and both of them collided into each other, sending a reverberating fissure along the ground. I never would have realised that this man would have all five potential qualities of each special infected.

The claws of a Witch.

The leap of a Hunter.

The tongue of a Smoker.

The bile of a Boomer.

The strength of a Tank.

It was an unbelievably amazing phenomenon to witness.

The Tank swiped at the man, and he took the entire impact of that solid whack as he collided into it, but instead, he grabbed a hold of the Tank's arm and swung himself to land on the Tank's back. He clawed and slashed at the tender skin, sending blood spraying along the boulders.

The Tank roared a second time, pure rage and hunger imprinted on his features as he grabbed the man around his torso and pounded him into the ground.

Bill's arm was still holding mine, but I hadn't realised just how hard I grabbed at it. His arm was bruising along the points of where I kept my fingers. He found my sight, and smiled sheepishly, patting my back to ensure it wasn't really my fault.

"Bill we have to stop this." I whispered, looking back towards the fight. "He won't make it, and we can't risk losing him! Not when we've come so far!"

Looking back towards Bill's aged eyes, I could see the fiery battle of his decision. But no final order came. Instead, he smiled softly, as if the fight was over. "I think we're going to be fine, Zoey."

I furrowed my eyebrows, shamed to hear that he wasn't going to help the man. But a sound, so beautiful, and so horrifyingly shocking at the same time, erupted from Francis.

He was sprinting towards the fight, a shiny object in his hand. Half of it was hidden by his large frame, but all I could think about was the idiotic action of what he was about to do. He bounded to the left of the fight, climbed the rocky surface of a huge boulder, and collected enough momentum to launch his body toward the fight and directly onto the Tank's back.

The Tank emitted a howl of fury and swung his immense figure, flailing his limbs in trying to throw Francis off. But Francis was much faster. He grasped onto the object, and plunged it into the flesh of the Tank's neck.

* * *

A/N: You're all probably thinking, 'ABOUT TIME YOU UPDATED!'

... Yeah... I've heard that a lot.

Nevertheless, enjoy the chappie. More to come (and hopefully conclude) in the next coming weeks!


	28. Return

"Don't you ever do something so stupid again!" The infected let out a low whine, and shifted his attention to the floor. Strands of his dark hair billowed across his face, obscuring his vision of me. He wouldn't get out of my lecture too easily.

My anger hadn't quite dissipated as of yet, so I turned to my next victim and thrust my finger into his chest. "And you!" I poked Francis' chest again and watched as he grimly met my sight. "You had to go and follow him! Did you realise how dangerous that was? You could have been killed Francis! Did you really think you could take on a Tank by yourself?"

I realised the atmosphere on the boat had rapidly dropped from exhausted relief to expectant suspense. Any ounce of chatter dissolved as my shouts were the only sounds audibly present. The steady humming of the boat's engine was all that was heard beyond my voice.

"Darlin', don't stress. What counts is we made it, and those fuckers didn't stand a chance." He grabbed a hold of my hand, and using his immense might, tried to pry me down beside him. I wouldn't let him tug me away so easily.

"At what cost Francis? What if we lost him?" Several of my teammates' glances swerved to the infected man, who shied away from all the sudden attention. My sight hadn't left Francis' face, and nor had his left mine. "What if I lost… you?"

I was on the verge of a breakdown. After mentally charging up so much spirit into this mission, I was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted and burned out. For once, nothing made much sense, and I was unable to pinpoint any coherent thoughts together. What if we had lost the infected man? How could we restore any ounce of normality in our world lost to the diseased? All our efforts would be for naught, and there would be no way to bring peace back to our world. This would be the end of mankind.

And what if I had lost Francis? The sudden thought caused my heart to shudder into involuntary beats as I struggled to breathe. The world around me dimmed as I considered the possibility. Hollowness engulfed me in waves of nausea. My entire world revolved around him. He brought colour, and life, and love, and joy to a life that had inevitably ended.

How could I live with myself if something had happened to him?

I expected further aloofness from Francis, but he merely smiled solemnly. He reached toward me again, and this time, I had no reason to obstruct his hands. I let them enfold me, filling me with warmth and security as I lay my head against his chest, my arms wrapping around his neck. "Just don't do it again." I whispered, a smile playing on my lips.

His laugh, rich and wonderful echoed around me as his hands crawled along my waist. "Wouldn't dream of it, babe."

* * *

I hadn't realised I had fallen asleep until I woke up to the startling warmth of the sun. Apparently, I had slept right through our return, and as the harsh sunlight blinded my blurred vision, it took me a moment to realise we had already made it back to the evacuation zone.

The team had already spilled out of the chopper, and I used Francis' strength to support me out as I stumbled onto the patchy grass and became aware of my surroundings.

The tall, foreboding building loomed ahead as unappealing as ever, providing no warmth or solitary ounce of comfort. I didn't expect that to change. However, outside the institution was a wall of guards – military guards, I might add – stationed outside the building. They wore similar tunics to us, instead theirs was covered with weaponry and shield armour. None of them wore helmets like us, but each wore heavy sunglasses and a tiny microphone was attached to each of their ears. I couldn't help shuddering. We looked just like them, and that wasn't a calming thought. Their stance created a chilling atmosphere as we sauntered closer. And then I realised why they were posted there.

"Where is he?" I asked immediately, my arm gripping Francis' much more tightly. I tried to see through my team, but I could tell I was still half asleep.

Francis relaxed my grip on him and cautioned me with a whisper. He already knew who I was referring to. "He's fine, Zo. He's up the front, right next to Bill."

I followed Francis' gaze and watched as Bill and the man had reached the military guards. Dread consumed me. They couldn't hurt him. They had to let us through. My mind automatically thought of Tokarski. Where was he in all of this? Had he betrayed us? What was going on?

"Zoey." Francis winced. He pried my arm away from his and instead held my hand. I noticed red spots swelling along his arms, the exact shape of my fingers.

"Sorry." I whispered.

"It's fine, darlin'. I promise you, we'll be fine." His words weren't reassuring in the slightest. After all, it wasn't my safety I was concerned about. He saw my fixed gaze and rushed me towards the front, right next to the infected man.

He was trembling slightly, but he was trying to stop himself. He didn't want to appear weak in front of anyone, especially the 'enemy'. He noticed my abrupt appearance next to him, and he relaxed slightly, smiling uneasily. I tried to appear bold, for his sake as well as mine and gave him a reassuring nod of approval. We would make it through this.

"We're here to pass by, safely of course. I understand you've been waiting for our return." I hadn't noticed, but Bill had already made communication with the military. I mentally slapped myself. _Stay alert Zoey._

One of the men eyed the infected man suspiciously and did not take any closer steps. "Commander Tokarski will arrive shortly with instructions. It's best if we take it now. We're ready for lockdown."

Lockdown? His words flitted through my mind. None of it made any sense. Who would they have to lock away? My eyes immediately sought the man, and I realised the seriousness of his words. The worst part is they didn't even consider him to be human. _It's best if we take it now._

"How dare–"

"We'll await your Commander's orders." Bill interrupted, ignoring my outburst. "I trust he'll have some insight as to what to do with the newcomer."

The military man snorted and gestured behind him. "The Commander will see you inside. You'll all be ordered to stay in an isolation room. For heath and safety concerns, of course." Sarcasm dripped from his words, but he led us inside anyway, passed the administration desks and into a hallway that hadn't normally permitted non-military personnel.

He paused by room A-19 and unlocked a heavily sealed metal door. He removed his glasses and gestured for us to enter. "I'll return shortly." He eyed me the longest, holding my gaze. I couldn't read the emotion displayed on his face, but I know I didn't like it. "We'll keep it safe."

The infected man almost yelped, his claws extending slightly. Before he made further movement, the guards simultaneously dived for him and wrapped him with black wires. The man screeched and hissed, trying to rake his claws through the wiring, but to no success. Rage burned with me, the feel was familiar and unrelenting, and before I could understand my own actions, I dived for the man who led us here, shoving his body against the wall roughly as I screamed for them to let him go.

The man collected himself abruptly, his face filled with revulsion. He grasped at my arm tightly and before anyone could protest, he shoved me inside the room and locked the steel door. I collapsed to the floor, several arms flying out toward me and shouts that seemed incomprehensible to my ears, but I ignored them all and leapt to my feet. I lunged for the door, smashing my fists against its impenetrable face, hoping the burning hatred would allow my strength to rip the door down so I could go after the military men.

Of course, I had no such luck. Honestly, when did I ever have luck on my side?

"Zoey!" Several voices snapped me from my haze. My fists continued to slam against the door, and even though I'd probably bruised my hands beyond repair, I wasn't going to stop until I knew the man was safe and those guards were slaughtered, by me.

Again, luck evaded me as arms pulled me back, creating even more distance between me and the door. I was still seeing red, and no one would be able to stop me. I shoved the arms away roughly, letting out a primal scream as I stomped back to the door.

This time, I was roughly picked up and carelessly thrown to the floor. Hands suddenly held my face, and the shouts were louder this time. The rage was still churning in my stomach like acid.

"Calm her down, for fuck's sake!"

"Zoey, babe, listen to me!"

"Just let her lie down for a minute, the poor thing's exhausted!"

"She gunna be awlright?"

"Zoey, stop this nonsense! You need to calm down and remain quiet!"

Too many voices. My head suddenly hurt. The rage was dissipating, replaced by exhaustion and confusion. I couldn't think straight. "Can everyone shut up, please!" I couldn't even hear my own voice. Instead, my hands flew to my ears, blocking their shouts into murmured chatter. I rocked myself on the floor, sticking to my mantra. They'd shut up soon enough, I was sure of it. I didn't realise I was mumbling until Francis removed my hands and looked at me in concern.

I avoided his gaze and met everyone else's in the room. Some showed shock, others mirrored Francis' concern, and one was smiling widely, almost like he approved.

"Sorry about that." I murmured quietly. "I didn't mean to lose control. I just need to know that he's safe and that they're not going to hurt him."

Quietness remained in the room until Bill spoke. "You're tired Zoey. We all are. We're tired and we're hungry and we're sick of the shit the military's been feeding us." Several people nodded to his words, clearly in agreement. "Truthfully, we don't know what's going to happen now. It's best we await Tokarski's orders and his plan of action. But we need to remind ourselves to stay in _control_."

"That's true, Zo." Ellis agreed, his eyes sparkling with concern and fatigue. "If ya lose your cool, then the infected man's gunna react jus' like yuh. Give 'im no reason tuh panic. I know fer sure he'll be fine."

Nick scoffed at his remarks and blatantly made his response clear. "Thanks to your little stunt out there, cupcake, I'm pretty sure our deal has been revoked."

"That's not true." Matthew added, seemingly upbeat. "We've gone to the trouble of collecting him. We've risked _our_ lives on this mission," His voice choked up at his words. We had risked our lives. But we had also lost a life in return. "They can't take that as nothing. They owe us."

"It's not that easy, son. We don't know what's gunna happen, but let us pray to the Lord Almighty that justice will be served and we'll be unharmed."

"Amen, Coach." Ellis piped in.

I smiled slightly. "So what now?" My voice was barely a whisper, but I knew they could hear me.

"Now," Bill sighed, leaning against the wall opposite me. "we wait."

And wait, we did. Small chatter broke out between the team. Some were planning strategy, highlighting the best possible way to safely handle the infected man while in the military's grasp. Others stared ahead, seeing nothing, almost as if they were sleeping. I could see the exhaustion on each of their faces, lines of fatigue and darkness under each of their eyelids. I couldn't help but feel responsible for it.

With no one talking to me, my mind automatically pondered the infected man's whereabouts. Where could they keep someone like that? The military guard mentioned lockdown, but where in the facility would they place him? I swallowed roughly, remembering the room Tokarski had led me through, the room filled with the cries of the infected and the harsh, blinding light…

"Yuh okay there, Zo?"

I was snapped from my thoughts as my eyes found Ellis' form leaning down beside me. He smiled tightly, trying to hide his concern. I didn't like the look everyone had given me, it was as if I was some kind of rabid animal. "I'm fine."

"You know he'll be awlright. I can jus' feel it, y'know? They wouldn't hurt him none." He fumbled with his cap, taking a seat on the floor next to me. He rolled his knees up to his chest and placed his arms over the top, his head fell against the wall, but I knew he was still watching me.

Despite his words, I couldn't help but feel as if he was trying to comfort me. I sighed. "I don't know, Ellis."

He was silent for a moment, which came as pure shock seeing as Nick always had to tell him to shut up. Some say silence is awkward, but those who don't know any better don't realise how golden silence can be. If we could have more moments like these, I'd be ultimately grateful.

"So what happened back there?" He spoke quietly, his accent softening as he turned his head toward me. I noticed then how close he was to me, his proximity ultimately too close. If I turned my head to face him, I knew we'd only be inches apart, and I'd have trouble straying away from his captivating gaze.

It took me a moment to gather my thoughts together, and to respond to the question he had asked. What _had_ happened back there? "They took him away with more force than necessary." I muttered, keeping my head against the wall, looking forward. "That wasn't fair."

He hadn't looked away as of yet. "Yuh know that's not what I'm talkin' 'bout."

Fear seized me, and this time I had no control in my actions, I turned to face him, horror filling my features as my knees began to tremble. Again, the proximity was almost too much; I turned my head away, although not quite enough to look forward. "Nothing happened there, Ellis. Drop it." I realised how harshly I spoke, but Ellis didn't flinch away from my words or the tone. He was persistent.

"Yuh can talk to me, Zo." His arm moved slightly, almost as if he wanted to comfort me with it. "I understand." I met his gaze again, searching for any ounce of forgiveness. He had seen a similar reaction from me, weeks ago, when my infected friends had attack him and Coach. I'd willingly allowed myself to think he'd forgotten the ordeal. Clearly, he didn't. The problem was I didn't mean to lash out like I had earlier. Something inside of me seized control, blocking any coherency. Instead, it filled me with rage and hunger and violence, feelings that were once familiar, but feelings I didn't want to experience or acknowledge.

"You don't understand Ellis." My voice shook lightly, and this time my hands began shaking. "Nobody does. It's always going to be inside, threatening to come out when I have no control." I paused for a moment, trying to steady my rapid breaths. "I always have to keep my guard up. I can't bring down my defences."

And that's when a previous conversation flickered inside my head. I remembered speaking with Dora, one of the doctors stationed at the evac zone. After wrapping my injuries and checking for signs of infection, I'd told her about my violent ways. She told me that piece would always be a part of me, a sign of infection, but nothing to further stimulate the mutation.

"_Your blood appears to be highly contaminated. It explains why your blood is able to counter the infection better than others."_

"_Wouldn't that mean I can become sicker than the others? That I have a higher chance of becoming like them?"_

"_Blood doesn't act in normal ways. However, you may have noticed certain characteristics are different than normal."_

"_What kinds of characteristics?"_

"_You may feel more anger. More primal than you were before. Even animalistic."_

Bingo. That's exactly how I was feeling. It felt as if I had no control over my emotions, and acted out of impulse, rather than rationality. _That_ was something I was used to. And that is what had seized me earlier. I was blinded by corruption and animosity, fighting for him but knowing I had lost all sense of strength. The military recognised this, and led him away; ripping any piece of contentment I had left, leaving me with a bleeding hole of rage and incoherency, leading me to conduct actions I wasn't sure I could have normally pulled off. Like shoving a man into a wall.

"_The infection causes humans to become violent in their actions. It won't ever control you entirely. It's something you'll always have in the back of your mind. It will always be a part of you."_

It will always be a part of me. No matter how many tests that were conducted to prove I wasn't infected, I would always have a piece of me that never quite functioned normally. It was a deadly and dangerous piece; one I never wanted in the first place and one I can never be rid of.

"Ya know we'll always be here fer ya." Ellis whispered next to me. I smiled slightly and turned to eye each of my teammates. I knew I didn't get along with everybody, and I had a feeling a few of them still resented me for everything I had done, but I knew without a doubt, I'd still have them in my life, and we'd work through it. They could keep me in control. They'd keep me sane.

"Yeah, I real–"

And that's when the door opened and Tokarski stepped in. His face portrayed no emotion as he held his military mask and eyed each of us. His posture stiffened before his sight rested on mine. Staring up at him, he appeared to be the strongest out of all of us, was it possible he'd bulked up even more since our departure? I didn't stop to think twice.

I leapt to my feet and laid my hands on my hips. "Where is he? What have you done with him?"

Half of Tokarski's face was hidden by the black strands of his hair, and I had a feeling he wore it like that to keep people from seeing the emotions on his face. He continued to stand forebodingly as he crossed his arms in a bold manner. "It's time for your group to leave the room. We need to get everyone sanitised."

I stalked over to him, the anger building so easily inside of me. "That's not part of the plan, Tokarski! Now where the hell is–"

Anger clouded his features, and his jawline became sharp and defined. "He's fine. You should know by now the conditions of staying in this zone. We need everyone sanitised and cleansed from the bacteria that have accumulated. We'll deal with everything else later."

"But is he–"

"He is safe." His words were low and menacing. His face, from the half I could see, was shrouded in coldness and hostility. "Do not make me regret our deal, Zoey." He hissed. "Now leave the room obediently or we'll have to use force _again._"

I bit down on my lip, and only Bill's glare made me keep quiet. I nodded reluctantly and watched as more military guards grabbed a hold of each of us. The gesture wasn't rough, but it could be if we didn't behave accordingly.

Tokarski was the one who led me out of the room first, so I didn't get to see where my friends had been taken, but I knew we would be separated during our 'sterilisation', as Tokarski might have said. He didn't touch me either, which I preferred. He must have some ounce of trust within me, knowing I wouldn't run away and demand to know where the infected man's room was. At least, I wouldn't do that _yet_.

He walked casually, his hands placed behind his back, almost as if he were leisurely walking through a park. "So I see you've returned safely. That's good." And, it appeared, he was making small talk.

I kept my head high, trying to reflect a similar posture. "Most of us did, yes. We did have a problem along the way."

Tokarski's face turned grave. As much as he wasn't especially welcoming to us, I knew he was trying to prevent the extinction of mankind, and he would do anything to keep us safe. "What happened to him?"

Of course, he must have already noticed our dwindled numbers, and known exactly who hadn't made it back with us. He was that perceptive. "There was an unexpected Tank along the way. He didn't make it." I tried to keep my voice strong, but I had a feeling Tokarski noted how shaken I was. He didn't comment on that.

"I knew something like this would happen. I didn't want to risk anyone's lives, Zoey!"

"I know that! Inasmuch as it is a loss, we've gained so much more! We have a cure for this infection Tokarski. We can return peace back to the world. Isn't that what you wanted all along?"

Tokarski was visibly shaking, but he controlled himself within a second and produced the same emotionless mask he'd had this entire day. I noticed his voice was still tight with apprehension. "It's still an innocent life lost."

I had nothing more to say. Apparently, neither did Tokarski. He led the way, naturally, toward the medical clinic where we were met by Dora. Sometimes it seemed she was my own personal doctor. She smiled, encouraging me inside. I was led in behind Tokarski who stood by the wall, motioning for me to sit on the hospital bed.

"It's good to see you again, Zoey." Dora smiled sweetly, looking the same as ever with her dark hair and lab coat. "I trust your mission was successful."

I nodded slowly, somewhat shyly. "As successful as it can be."

Dora eyed me for a short moment before coming to stand by me. She did an examination of my sight and hearing and promised to bandage my sores once her procedure was finished. It was a similar procedure to the one I first had upon arrival, so I was much more comfortable, apart from Tokarski's presence.

However, I had no reason to worry. He left the room so I could undress and have antidotes applied to my sores and bruises. Once the 'sterilisation' was complete, I bid farewell to Dora and made my way outside the medical clinic, only to be met with Tokarski's looming figure. Clearly, there was still unfinished business to attend to.

I yawned, making my way slowly over to him. "What now? I know you're not going to reveal the man's whereabouts so can't I just get some rest?"

He raised his eyebrows amusedly. "Who said I wasn't?"

I blanched, frowning. "So you are?"

He shrugged indifferently and began walking down the corridor. "If you promise not to cause a scene like last time, then yes, I'll take you."

I wouldn't let this chance pass me by. "You're still holding that against me, I see." I noted dryly. "Is he okay? Where are you holding him under lockdown? And why? Why does he need to be secluded? He shouldn't be alone through all of this. Remember this isn't easy on him!" I noticed my voice was rising, and had probably ruined my attempt of being allowed to see him. Tokarski probably expected this from me, so he continued to lead me forward.

"So many questions. Do you ever stop?"

I didn't answer back. He knew me well enough by now.

As I suspected – and painfully dreaded – we were heading in the same direction as B-21. I clenched my teeth, trying to stop an outage of further questions. Was he locked up just like them? Were they torturing him? I needed no further pondering as Tokarski stopped suddenly, gesturing to the same locker room as last time. Grudgingly, we dressed appropriately, although I had no reason to be afraid. After all I'd touched the infected man with my bare hands, and still, I showed no signs of further infection. But considering none of the military had encountered them too closely, it was a precaution they needed to take.

Tokarski paused behind the double doors and he met my gaze pleadingly. "Don't question our authority. We know what we're doing. Don't cause a scene."

Of course, he had to repeat himself, didn't he? Because I was reckless enough to throw another fit to land me in another lockdown. I couldn't help thinking why he'd mention this. Dread consumed me again, and I knew what I was about to see wasn't going to be good.

He opened the doors then, and I was met with harsh light, but none alike the infected torture chamber. It was blinding, but to an extent that allowed me to see every effect in the room. In the middle of the room, wrapped up in a vertical hospital bed, wired with what seemed like hundreds of red tubes was my infected friend.

He was unconscious, that much I could tell. The red tubes – I realised – were pulsing with blood. Blood that was draining him dry. He looked paler than I had ever seen him, only his slight grey tinge allowed me to believe he was still alive.

I gasped, throwing my hand over my mouth in shock. "What have you done to him?"

* * *

A/N: Hey, what's up you guys?

It's been too long since I updated this story, so I promise to update much more regularly. This story isn't quite finished, but it's nearing the ending, so I can't wait for the story to finally conclude.

In other news, there has been a great number of favourites for this story so thanks **heaps!** It means so much that you guys like it, and honestly, it does give me inspiration to update faster. But in any case, enjoy the chapter, let me know your thoughts, and I'll see y'all at the next update. Peace off.


	29. Hope

Tokarski sighed, expecting my sudden outburst. Really, it was inevitable, and he should have known nothing would keep me quiet anymore.

I was too shocked to respond, my eyes gazed over every ounce of his figure, drinking him in, trying to find a way to get him out of this mess. But my feet wouldn't drag me forward. My legs were locked into place, freezing my bones and paralysing my muscles. Despite the fact that half of his blood had been drained, he almost looked… peaceful. At least he was in no harm. I had to keep my faith in that and deal with what was going on _now. _Why drain his blood? Why _this much_? They weren't trying to kill him, were they?

"You have that look on your face again." Tokarski stated dryly, crossing his arms as he gave me a pensive look.

"What look?" I muttered, meeting his thoughtful gaze.

"The look that says you're up to no good. That you're ready to fight for something that's immensely past your area of expertise and ability."

I shuddered. How could he read me so well? I shifted my position, trying to relax my fumbling legs as I gazed back at the infected man. "I don't have a look like that." I whispered, barely aware of my surroundings. _Blood. So much blood_.

"You do when you look at him." He pointed his gaze back to the man and took several steps closer. Several steps too close. Without intuition, I moved forward with him, only a few breaths away from the man. Up close, you could see the lines of fatigue on his face, the yellowness of his skin and his complete fragility.

"Why are you doing this to him?" I blurted out, coming to stand by the man's side, eyeing the blood bags wearily.

"Think of it like this, Zoey. We're helping each other out. By draining his blood, we can collect samples to test on the infected, just like you wished. And by keeping him weakened, though not exactly dead," I winced. "we can still ensure the institution is safe."

"So you still see him as a threat? As a harmful being? How many times have I told you he's not going to hurt anyone? He's never hurt anyone other than the infected out there, and that was to _help us!_"

Tokarski eyed me, his eyes narrowing. "Are you sure about that?"

I answered immediately. "Yes. Unconditionally."

And then his gaze shifted down to the body of the man before resting on several files of paper at the foot of the bed. I followed his gaze and reached for the papers, but I was too slow. Tokarski seized them first and flicked through them, choosing one of importance.

"What are those papers for?" I asked wearily, watching him curiously. He didn't answer me right away but he came to stand beside me, though not too close.

"We've had him contained for a few hours now, and we've already tested his blood. We have some… results." He said _results_ as if it were a dirty word. "His blood tells us he was a commoner before his transformation." He stated simply.

I nodded, letting that sink in. "Well yeah, that's how they all start off. They were all commoners before a few of them further mutated. I knew that already."

"Then let's just say he was a late bloomer." The look on my face told him I had no clue what he was on about. He almost laughed, though he's never laughed in front of me. Instead, his lips pulled up into a slight smile. "The other special infected showed signs of further mutation after the first two weeks of infection."

I pointed to the man on the bed. "He didn't take two weeks?"

"He took almost six weeks to mutate into what he is. That's three times as long as any normal transformation."

Six weeks. It took him six weeks to transform into what he is now. I allowed the information to jumble inside my mind, trying to find any ounce of what it all meant. My only theory was because he had every aspect of each special infected, he needed more time to mutate into what he is now. Tokarski seemed to read my features, thinking along the same lines as I was.

"So what does this mean?" And then an unexpected thought hit me, a thought I shared with my teammates many weeks ago. We knew this infected man had the ability to cure the infected. But was it possible to cure special infected? Was it possible to cure _him_?

There was a grim look to his steady gaze. "There's more."

Dread filled me. What the hell would I have to deal with next?

"We've always known he's unique. But our researchers think they've found a lead with his blood. Because he is able to 'heal' others with his blood," he paused. "and yours, means he's been able to conditionally heal himself."

It was all like a second language to me. "I don't get what you're trying to say. What, he's a healer? He can physically heal others and himself?"

"Think of it this way, Zoey. The man was a commoner. You've seen what they're like. Describe them." Of course, he'd find some way to make this an educational purpose.

I sighed. "I don't know… they're… pale. They're bloody and bruised and scratched up. Some have pus, others are missing limbs." I threw my hands up in exasperation. "What's the point?"

"The point is during his transformation, his skin healed. He didn't look like a commoner, and I'm sure upon first glance, he didn't look infected." It was true. I was startled by such a calm and normal appearance. "During his mutation, his blood had the ability to heal his injuries and the disease. Although he mutated exponentially, he was able to keep that healing aspect through his blood. The doctors think that's the reason why he has the ability to cure the infected."

"Then how does my blood work with all of this? Shouldn't this healing thing he's got work for itself?" I asked.

"That, we don't know about yet. Our medical researchers are looking into it more to determine the importance of his transformation and his blood. In the meantime, we're going to test his blood, as well as yours, on a commoner." He eyed me suspiciously. "Do you still give us permission to use your blood for these purposes?"

"This was my idea, Tokarski." I stated. "When can we start?"

* * *

I was able to meet up with my teammates back at the cafeteria once my strength returned. I had given an entire blood bag that would be used on an experiment later in the afternoon. Tokarski said he would collect me for the 'viewing' of the commoner's restoration. I had a feeling he still didn't believe me, that somewhere inside his soul, he was unsure about my advances. I don't think he trusts me as much as he says he does, but nonetheless, by nightfall, everyone would have witnessed the phenomenon that would restore our world, and we'd be one step closer to normality. And maybe then, Tokarski would trust me unconditionally.

As always, I was the latest to return to the group. Few of them looked up at my advance, some relieved, and others concerned, but most generally happy to see me. I relayed them in on the news and sure enough, their reactions were expectant.

"At least he's safe. That's the main consideration we need to take from this Zoey. They won't hurt him now." Bill stated matter-of-factly.

"At least not yet." Nick muttered. I ignored his comment, as much as it spurred an unrelenting rage inside of me; I was handling my control, keeping my defences up. Francis helped too, tightening his grip on my waist as if he expected me to lunge for him. He'd have to give me some credit.

"They'll keep him drained, won't they? They wouldn't let him loose in the institution…" I sent a glare towards Rochelle. Despite her fear of the infected, that was quite an offence to me. She quickly glanced away, trying to hide from my gaze.

"Is this all we're ever going to talk about?" Maia snapped. Everyone was shocked into silence as she spoke, after all, it was the first time she'd spoken since our mission. She felt everyone's gaze on her, evaluating her emotions and trying to hide their surprise at her sudden outburst. Usually she'd blush and try to pry the attention away. Not today. Through everything we've been through, despite Maia's quietness, I hadn't realised just how tough she'd become. She'd dealt with the loss of a friend after fighting her second time through a rescue mission. How could that not affect her? "Has everyone forgotten about Daniel? Or are we all too brain-washed by Zoey's _perfect miracle man_."

I flinched from her words. After all, she was right. Maybe I'd expressed my emotions too strongly. Had I not thought about my other teammates' needs? _Don't blame yourself. She could have stayed behind._ I chastised my inner voice. This wasn't the time to put the blame on anyone.

Before I could apologise, she leapt from her seat and stalked away, never looking back. I gulped. Awkwardness hung in the air, and I almost felt nauseous.

"I should go see her." Matthew spoke softly.

I shot up from my seat. "No, I'll go. I have to see her… have to apologise."

"You haven't done anything wrong, Zoey." Francis reconciled from next to me. But it didn't matter. It didn't matter whether I had done anything wrong or not. I had to see her.

"I'll be back soon." I kissed Francis lightly on the lips and then walked passed Matthew who eyed me sympathetically. I smiled to him softly, exited the room and made my way back toward the group tents.

I paused outside the tent, almost unsure if I was the one to really talk to her. I knew her feelings were resentful towards me, but I had inexplicably dragged her into this. True, she did have her own choice in whether she wanted to come, but pressure from the other survivors could have driven her to do the 'right thing'. I took a deep breath and went inside.

She was stationed at her bed. She shifted herself upwards, meeting my gaze. She rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "What do you want, Zoey?" She lay back down, whether she was purposefully trying to avoid my looks, or because she was tired, I didn't know.

I sat down on the floor beside her bed, fighting hard to meet her gaze. But she wasn't looking at me, for that I was relieved. "I know you've been through a lot lately, and I'm sorry about that." I paused, unsure of how to proceed. "Did you want to talk about anything?"

She laughed dryly, pulling herself upwards to sit on the bed. "You're really asking me that? After everything we've been through?" I didn't answer, so I continued to stare at her pointedly, almost waiting for her response. She realised I wasn't going to reply so she rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, there are several things I'd like to talk about." Her voice became icy, menacing. Her sarcasm was intentional. "Let's talk about Daniel, the friend no one seems to acknowledge anymore, the one who risked his life for _you_, the one who died for _you._ Do you seem to care about any of that?" She snapped at me.

I bit my lip, trying to find a way to console her. She was a tough one.

In any case, it was a waste of time because she continued speaking. "Or let's talk about how you manipulated everyone into joining your little cult." I winced from the word, but she seemed to take pleasure out of my pain. "How can you live with yourself? You put others in danger, fighting for something that's probably going to result in the death of us all. You're so selfish, Zoey! You never think about anyone! You never think about their lives, or their choices!"

"Everyone had a choice, Maia." My voice dropped to barely a whisper. "You didn't have to come."

Maia looked back at me icily. "This isn't about me, Zoey. This is about the people you've manipulated into coming with you. They all thought it was the 'right' thing to do, to follow someone who represented being a leader, someone who fought for their beliefs and those they loved. They never had a choice. They were the victims of this all."

Despite the harshness of her voice, I wasn't offended by any of it. "It's because I've never been a victim." I voiced my thoughts aloud, unintentionally.

Maia glanced at me hesitantly. "What?"

I met her stony gaze with strength and resolve. "I've never been a victim, Maia. I've always been strong enough to fight for what I believe in, and I've never let others influence me otherwise. I don't cower back from the pressure, or from things that are beyond my ability to control or handle. I'll still fight for it, no matter how impossible it seems. I wouldn't let it crush me."

She was about to fight back, to argue something of less importance, but I didn't let her.

"You're not there yet. You've never fought for something so passionately, so intensely that you become one with it. You're not strong enough for that, yet. I'm there. I've been there. I've risked my life countless times for this one man, for the wonders he can achieve. I'm ready to continue my fight, to see the world restored to its previous inhabitants. I'm just sorry you can't see it that way."

She looked at me as if I'd slapped her. Shock outlined her features, bitten back by humiliation. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she was strong enough not to let them fall. "For someone who claims they're the heroine of this world, you're also a bitch." And with that, she left the room, leaving me with my final words. Words that I would not take back.

I couldn't regret them, and I probably couldn't bring her back either. And for once in my life, I really considered the possibility that we'd probably never speak again.

* * *

Tokarski collected me that evening from the cafeteria. He met my gaze stonily, and I knew it was time to go. Thankfully, he allowed me to take two others with us, so it was obvious as to whom my occupants would be. If I could fight for it, I would have asked to bring the entire gang along with us, excluding Maia. No, I wasn't being _bitchy_, I just knew she wouldn't have come even if I asked.

All was quiet as Tokarski led the way, with Francis and Bill following along behind us, both surprised to be tagging along. Usually, Tokarski conducted his meetings with me in private, so the two of them coming along meant something was happening. Fortunately, they just didn't know what yet.

As I thought, we neared the hallway to B-21. Tokarski motioned for the lockers again, and once we were dressed and ready to go, I sent him a warning look. He understood immediately and left the room to wait outside while I dealt with Bill and Francis.

"Zo, darlin', I love you, I really do, but how much longer am I gonna hafta wear this shit?" I laughed outright, almost hysterically. My nerves kicked in, feeling like a blow to my stomach, so I stopped almost immediately and took a deep breath. Bill, expectant as always, knew something was up.

"So what have we been brought out here for? Where's he taking us?" Bill asked. He looked fitting in his lab coat, though it didn't suit him nearly as much as his military uniform. A thought came to mind. If we really could bring peace back to Earth, I considered the real possibility that Bill may never take off his military uniform. It was so ingrained into him, that it was an essential part of him.

"We're going through a door just outside. They're finally going to test out the cure on a random commoner." I didn't feel right calling them zombies. It was too mean, comical even.

Bill looked mystified. He hadn't been expecting this. "And we're allowed to witness this?" I nodded, smiling slightly.

"Tokarski said I could bring two guests. You're both lucky I like you so much or you'd be stuck outside with everyone else."

Francis winked at me, causing my thoughts to scatter off. Bill shook his head, eyeing his uniform longingly. "I didn't think they would test it so quickly." He stated.

I shrugged, obviously I hadn't been thinking about that. "They're desperate."

Bill could read me like an open book. "You're desperate for this cure to work."

And then Francis had to add in his insight. "I think everyone's desperate for normality again. Anything that has the potential to bring that back would be of first priority." Bill and I looked at him, surprised by his words. He seemed indifferent. "I'm just sayin'."

Tokarski entered the room then, his face revealing he wasn't going to be patient anymore. I guess we were right about them being desperate. We left the room then, and I mentally prepared myself for entering B-21. As we entered, I was right for my reasons.

The infected man was still unconscious, but he was cast to the far corner of the room. I could see that they had momentarily stopped draining him, and for that, I was thankful. Hopefully soon, he would awaken.

"Have you got the blood ready?" Tokarski questioned a doctor I hadn't met in this institution. The doctor fumbled with a syringe as Tokarski eyed him with a penetrating gaze, but he spoke confidently, boldly.

"Everything's ready to go. It's best to bring one in now." The doctor motioned to the three of us at the back of the room. "They shouldn't be here, it's not safe."

It seemed Tokarski agreed with him, but didn't make any moves to have us escorted back to the cafeteria. "They'll be fine. I'll keep them at the back."

"That would be best. Don't let them move any closer, not until we deal with what happens." The doctor could have spoken to us himself, but he was too arrogant to speak to survivors. I would have made a retort, but instead Angus entered the room.

And he was not alone. Dragging behind him, along with two other guards was a zombie. Yeah, I know, I wasn't going to call anyone that. But, well, that's always my first impression. _It's the looks, Zoey. There's a human stuck inside that animosity somewhere, and you're responsible for bringing that back out. _

The zombie was placed on a vertical stretcher of sorts, and he was tied up with wires to ensure immediate security. The zombie's milky white eyes stared at nothing in particular, but the snarls and screeches showed how alive and deadly he truly was. It was a young male, and he thrashed around so violently, I was sure he'd break free of his wires. But, like always, the guards seemed to be one step ahead. They remained in the room, but by the side door, sensing a threat that they would not leave.

"I guess we're ready to go." Angus turned to look at us in concern, but it was the other doctor who spoke. He produced his syringe and filled half of it with my blood and the other half with the infected man's. Both Angus and his partner approached the zombie, Angus on one side, and his partner on the other. The zombie didn't know which man perceived a threat to him most, so he thrashed around to both of them, but he could not reach them.

The doctor, despite being covered in every ounce of medicinal protection, looked fearful in touching the man. He reached toward the thrashing man slowly, eyeing the creature with fear. The zombie sensed this and tried to shift his arm so the doctor couldn't touch it. But his wires allowed him no movement; his wrist was upturned and open, susceptible to the doctor.

"Here we go." He grabbed the infected's wrist and softly plunged the syringe into his bloodstream. It took a few minutes for the syringe to completely drain, the contents of our blood was almost completely gone. "We're in." It seemed he was giving a play-by-play commentary of his actions. It was helpful, I must admit. I couldn't see everything from where we were. All I was aware of was my rapidly beating heart, and the sudden change of atmosphere in the room.

The infected screeched, as if in pain of the syringe. I could see from this distance that it was almost empty, and that the effects would soon take place. The doctor pulled back on the syringe, taking it out gently and wiping the wrist with an ointment I couldn't see.

"And now, we wait." The doctor said it almost comically, as if he really didn't believe anything was going to happen. And yet, his words reminded me of Bill's earlier today.

Waiting was a hard game. I was so sure my heart would explode from all the exertion, but I was too nervous to take much notice. I eyed the infected pleadingly, hoping his transformation would take place, and I wouldn't look like a gawking idiot I was sure I looked like now.

"How long does this take, Zoey?" Tokarski asked, turning back around to look at me questioningly. He was already starting to think this was a scam.

"Almost immediately."

The zombie's shrieks finally ceased, and his form slumped forward, almost sagging downwards. But I could see it.

The astonishment on my face must have clicked to Tokarski as he rapidly turned back around and witnessed the phenomenon I was now certain would happen. At least now, I could share this experience with my loved ones… as well as a few strangers.

I watched as the man's body twitched haphazardly, exactly alike what I had seen before. His limbs trembled and twisted in sickly ways, almost as if he were having a seizure. His muscles finally stopped, allowing us to watch as his skin changed from its sickly grey hue, to a creamy, healthy white.

I followed the creamy whiteness with astonished eyes. Along his neck, down his arm, between his fingers. The whiteness glowed with radiance, as if milk was literally poured over his body. His fingers twitched again, but this time his black claws crackled off. Underneath them, I could see untarnished nails. Nails that could brush across an itch, not tear through skin.

And then the zombie looked at me. Several emotions etched across his face, but not the emotions I was used to. His green eyes stared at me without violence or hunger. Instead, there was confusion. Torment. Regret. Wistfulness. Maybe even a little ounce of hope.

I didn't know how Tokarski did it, but his sight left the human's and rested on me, pure wonder and awe and hope radiant in his sight and posture. The doctors and guards continued to watch, almost dumbfounded, lost without words at what had taken place. I didn't need to see Francis or Bill's faces to know what was on them. I could feel it within my own expression. Happiness. Accomplishment. Hope. I was sure that last one was a themed emotion.

My sight launched back to the human, and only now could I tell he had streaks of tears down his cheeks. He was crying. He was… in so much pain. A wave of howls escaped the man as his face dropped, hiding his beautiful green eyes, eyes that reminded me of his humanity. He wept uncontrollably, his body trembling hysterically.

Sympathy floored me as I ignored everyone around me and walked over to him. The guards acted without intuition and grabbed me, pulling me away from the man. I shouted, trying to throw myself out of their grip. "Tokarski! Make them let go!"

Francis was at my side in an instant, with Bill immediately behind him. "Let her go." He glared at the guards, sizing them up. I knew he could take them both.

They knew it too. They both let go, and I shrugged my way out, glaring at them both before shoving my way beside Angus and the other doctor. They began to remove the wiring around the man's torso. He was barely paying attention, too caught up in his own misery.

"Do you think it's safe?" Tokarski voiced out loud, standing beside me in a second. "He could be insecure in these surroundings. He probably doesn't know what's happened."

"That doesn't mean we have to treat him like an animal." I replied, eyeing the man with my own sadness.

The doctors still let him go, despite Tokarski's protests. He fell to his knees almost immediately, clutching at himself, tearing at his hair in absolute depression. He was sobbing so hard, I was unsure what to do. Should I console him?

But I didn't need to. He calmed himself down enough to speak, and looked at us fixedly. "W-What am I?" he moaned.

Any protests about staying away from this man were ignored. I jumped down to my feet, ready to help the man. But Angus beat me there, his body kneeling down, already consoling him. "My name is Angus." He held out his hand in an open gesture. "I'm here to help you. You have nothing to worry about, and you have no one to be scared of."

The man continued to tremble, but eyed Angus' hand pleadingly. It was so sad to see a man torturing himself. It was like he knew he wasn't safe. It was as if he thought he was supposed to hurt Angus, but there was no anger to feel or act upon. He was still so confused, anyone could see that in his posture and rampant emotions.

"That part of you has gone." I said softly. His head snapped up to me, his face sullen with grief. "It's not coming back." For some reason, he knew what I was referring to. He knew what he was before, but now, some inkling caused him to believe that he had finally been restored. Perhaps it was our presence, or the absence of his animalistic emotions, I didn't know. But I could see his torture peel away slowly. Not entirely, but slowly.

He nodded, almost as if he were internally struggling with what he had become. Almost as if he were convincing himself that he was human. "Help." He said, reaching toward Angus' hand. Angus helped him up slowly. He motioned to the two guards, and the four of them exited the room, probably to find a place to sort everything out.

"I know you want to go with them, but it's best to stay here." Bill spoke softly, loud enough for only Francis and I to hear. I nodded solemnly, looking away from the door they'd exited through.

"You were right." Francis whispered.

I turned towards him with my hands on my hips. "You didn't believe me?"

He smiled, looking back to the stretcher that was now long forgotten. "I believed. It's just… so hard to imagine something like that. It's hard to imagine that it's possible."

"Yeah," I muttered. "I guess that's true."

"So what happens now?" Bill spoke up. "Are they going to test out some other people?"

I eyed Tokarski and the doctor across the room, they were talking animatedly in hushed voices. I knew then that they were both believers. "I don't think so. Not today, at least. But soon. Soon they'll test everyone."

"It's a long process." Francis added. "If they test several people at once they'll need others to help calm them back down. Make them feel welcomed and valued rather than experiments in some creepy restoration procedure." I didn't realise Francis cared so much about others, he was always the one cut off from society, never caring about anyone besides himself. I guess, after being with me, he's learned to love and to feel sympathy. It only made my heart grow in response.

Tokarski and the doctor approached us then, the animation clear and indignant on their features. "Doctor Muller will take you two back to the main room," Tokarski eyed Francis and Bill, who nodded along obediently. His vision turned to me, a small smile on his face. "I'd like to speak with Zoey briefly."

They left then, both of them casting me one final look before venturing back into the locker rooms. Tokarski sagged against the wall, leaning downwards, almost as if he were exhausted by the display he'd witnessed. His hand stroked his shaved chin before his eyes rested on me, radiant with approval. "I almost can't believe it."

I choked on my laughter, too keyed up to think of an appropriate reply. "After seeing it twice, I still find it difficult to believe." I met his sight, a smile escaping my lips. "But I'm glad you finally believe me."

He was going to smile, but he bit his lip back on it and looked at me amusedly. "I apologise for thinking all of this was a sham. Honestly, I didn't expect the cure to work. I think my subconscious demanded any excuse, no matter how ridiculous, to bring back humanity to this world." I thought about what Francis had said earlier, how anything – no matter the potential – anything that could restore peace simply wouldn't be overlooked. The idea would be taken into consideration. After all, some random idea was better than no idea at all. He was right about that.

"In any case, I'm glad things have worked out." And then I did something so unexpected, that at first, I really didn't believe it was my arm that was moving. I laid out my arm, waiting for him to shake on it. I knew there was a major possibility that he would ignore my respectability and he'd leave the room without a backward glance, but surprisingly, he glanced at it with amusement and reached out. He shook my hand, his cold, large hand clasping against my own in silent appreciation.

He dropped it almost instantly and pointedly looked away. "I'm sure you'd like to return to your friends." I grimaced, shifting my gaze away too. After such an expedition, our group unity had dwindled ever since we got back. I had a feeling I wasn't going to be talking to Rochelle or Nick much after this. Despite that, I knew I still had my original team of three – my boys – the good people they were, along with Matthew and Ellis who I'd taken an immense liking to.

Instead I moved back toward the unconscious man. _He looks so peaceful, it's almost like he's already dead._ "Is it okay if I stay here instead? Will he wake up soon?"

Tokarski walked over, standing by his bed, no longer sensing him as a threat. "Could take ten minutes, could take up to an hour. I don't know. But you can stay. I'll have Doctor Maccarrone check in on you two."

A puzzled look spread across my face as Tokarski neared the exit door. "Doctor Maccarrone?"

He smiled softly. "Dora." He left then, leaving me with the quietness of the room. I glanced back at the man, noticing his skin tone returning to its lightened grey hue, the yellowness had slightly dissipated. His claws, I noticed, were as menacing as ever, they looked like butcher's knives, curving along the slope and ending with a slick point. I gulped, even though I had nothing to fear. Despite their deathly appearance, the claws were relaxed, something I'd never seen before.

_It's taken you six weeks to become what you are. _I yawned as several incoherent thoughts spun ravenously through my mind. _You were just like any other commoner._ Exhaustion hit me suddenly, and I yawned again. _Ravenous. Violent. Temperamental. _How long had it been since I'd slept? _You would have bitten people, tasted their flesh._ I knew it wasn't too long, but after such an eventful day, I was ready for my bed. _How can you be so calm now? Why the extreme change?_

I hadn't realised I fell asleep until I woke to a slight tickling sensation above my left ear. I awoke groggily, my sight faltering as the blurriness failed to disappear. Knives, the colour of charcoal sliced across my depleted vision, but the recognition hadn't hit home. I screamed, forcing myself backwards to put as much distance between the weapons and myself as possible. But I could only go so far without falling off the bed.

I straightened up wearily, taking in the details in front of me. I recognised the man at that moment, his _claws_ withdrawing stealthily underneath his cover. I calmed my rapid breathing and looked upon his startled gaze, his radiant black eyes widening with shame. I couldn't be sure whether he whispered that he was sorry, I figured I was still half asleep.

"It's okay." I spoke anyway, trying to create an atmosphere of serenity. He glanced at me worriedly, I didn't realise until then that he was shaking. His entire body was trembling with fear. "Hey, relax." I placed my hand upon his arm. He flinched unintentionally. "No one's going to hurt you. I promised you that wouldn't happen. They just needed… some of your blood." A filthy look crossed his face. I wasn't sure who he was disgusted towards, but if I had any guesses I'd say he was pissed off with the doctors.

"I know." I sighed, relaxing next to him on the bed. "But don't worry." His gaze lifted to me again, mixing into a distorted picture of disgust and tranquillity. "They did the same to me too." I showed him my bandage on my right arm. His face turned to pity before landing on the anger mark. He bared his jagged teeth, bolting upright in bed. But he was still too weak. I pushed him back down, realising he was using up too much energy. "It's okay. I told you to relax."

"And anyway…" I started again. "We're doing this for a great cause. Everyone we help will return to normal." I smiled then, trying to emit happiness. I don't know whether he believed it or not. "Well, at least, they'll become humane. And you…" I stopped suddenly. Could I give him false information? How could I simply lie to his face? _And you'll return to your normal state too! _

I decided I couldn't do it. "And you," I said, recovering from my previous break. "you'll be the reason for restoring humanity to its original place. You're the reason why these commoners are regaining their humanity back! No more violence… no more bloodshed…" I realised I was painting the perfect picture. It would take years for the complete restoration of our country, but in the end, we would get there. I was sure of it.

He glanced at me with kind eyes, eyes that shone with brilliance and intelligence far beyond our recognition. He almost smiled, and though his teeth were sharper than normal, and his eyes were black as the velvet, midnight sky, he almost looked human. It was possible to believe I wasn't sitting next to a zombie on a bed. It was hard to imagine this man with a ghoulish, bloodshed appearance. The milky white eyes, the look of hunger and greed plastered on his facial features…

In that moment, the way he looked at me then, several things fell into place. Familiarity: I knew this man. I knew I had seen him before. Having him look at me like that, it confirmed my worst fears.

Even without the commoner features, I could see the same shaped face, the square of his jaw line and the shape of his cheekbones. Even without those commoner features… I could _imagine _them. The man's respectful smile changed to immediate concern. I wonder what he saw on my face.

"Oh my God." I felt goose bumps rise along the length of my arms, but all of that was ignored as a sudden realisation hit me square in the face. I reached up to touch the bite mark on my neck, shuddering from the memories of that one night. But one image came back perfectly clear. My attacker. I gasped, fingering the tooth marks that were forever ingrained into my skin. "You were the one who bit me."

* * *

A/N: We're finally nearing the end! There's probably another 1 or 2 chapters left of this story. I don't quite know as of yet, but it all depends on my writing and whether I decide to write another wacky loophole moment. (As I have many times in previous chapters!)

Honestly, I didn't think the story would take such a turn as it has, but it's been a challenging and enjoyable experience nonetheless.

So I hope you enjoyed the chapter, give me some feedback or simply say hello and I'll see you all back at the next (and possibly final) chapter!

Adios!


	30. Blind Sighted

I failed to control my rampant emotions. Shock seized me first, the memory of that one night collided into my thoughts again, the details seemingly much clearer, yet at the same time, they frightened me to death. _Milky white eyes, eyes that held a look of utter greed and voracious desire for my flesh… blotchy skin, masked by the pus oozing out of his facial wounds… his mouth dipping with his own streaming black blood…_

Fear stunned me next as I failed to logically order my thoughts, to see through this long-held secret, trying to find any piece of evidence that would prove it wrong. I realised my sight never left his, and for once I could read the emotions plastered on his paling face. His eyes had widened in feared confirmation, his Adam's apple trembling hysterically, groping for something to say to end this torture, but nothing would come out.

_The young male pushed through the crowd and lunged for my throat, ripping a large portion of my flesh. _My hand hadn't yet left my scar, but it felt as if I could feel the psychological pain all over again, as well as my thoughts of wanting to die – no, _needing_ to. I backed away from the man, steeling myself into a solid wall, its impenetrable force disallowed me any further movements. The only two exits were on the opposite side of the room, and to reach them, I would have to close some distance towards _him. _

_My blood sprayed… the horde closed in…I collapsed to the floor and dragged myself into an unoccupied room, coughing up blood that splattered from my mouth. _"This was your fault." My mouth had dried up, and I had no indication of whether I had stated those words or not. But I was thinking them, anyway. All of this was his fault. He was the reason why I had been separated from the group. He was the reason why I had almost killed Coach and Ellis. He was the reason why I had suffered what seemed like weeks of torture and hunger, thriving on the blood of those who had already died.

But then a voice sounded in my head, a reasonable and calmer voice, a voice I didn't want to listen to. _He is the reason for curing this disease._

_I clutched at my torn throat… my blood smeared along the floor… and soon enough, I would hope to pass out. _"Why –" I couldn't make sense of what I wanted to say. Tears brimmed along the edges of my sight, blurring my vision for a few seconds, only to see that the man was trying to leave his post. His eyes betrayed a tortured expression of sorrow, but there was something else mingled in with that – he was _sorry._

_It was too late for me… my blood already mixed in with his and I would be one of them soon… I couldn't take that risk… I had to leave. _I remembered the darkness eventually engulfed me, sending me into a world of blissful sleep and contentment, a world thousands of miles away from the reality that set in next. It was the beginning of the end.

I looked up in time to see him approach me; his wires had been senselessly cut and tarnished. Fear had already been implanted into me, any more of it and I was sure to faint. Again, I felt the similar sensation of my blurred vision, only it darkened along the edges and sent my mind skidding toward unreality. I barely saw him lunging for me before I saw nothing at all.

I was surrounded by darkness, and I was content.

* * *

Painfully aware of a blinding light that was about to smack me in the face, I refused to open my eyes. I snapped my eyelids shut even more, crinkling the skin along the edges, refusing to come to terms with what I had to face.

Unfortunately, the darkness hadn't lasted as long as I'd hoped, but it provided me with utmost security and allowed me time to break away from the world.

"Zoey?" I was caught off guard, and momentarily flinched away from the sound of my name. As much as I would do anything for that voice, at this point in time I still preferred seeing nothing.

Preparing myself for the onslaught of light, my eyelids flickered open to the concerned gaze of Francis. He smiled, albeit worriedly, and reached out to cup my cheek with his palm. "Hey, darlin'." I steeled my vision away from his and flinched out of his grasp. His eyebrows buckled slightly, but he didn't try to reach towards me again. "How you feeling?" he asked unsurely, his voice breaking.

I didn't reply, instead I raised myself from the bed and sat up, drinking in the details of the room. I recognised it as one of the medical clinic's testing facilities, though I was unsure why I had been placed here. I was expecting one of the rooms I had been subjected to with Dora. Warmth flooded onto my right arm and the next thing I saw was Francis' face next to me.

"Are you hurting?" I looked down upon his hand grasping my arm, it was light, almost featherweight in a way that made me know he cared. Beyond that I noticed the bandage wrapped securely around my wrist. Yanking it off with force I didn't know I possessed, I threw it to the floor in disgust. Francis' hand tightened around my arm.

"Zo, talk to me. Say something." Francis' voice wavered. The one thing in this world I hated (despite the zombie apocalypse and all…) was hurting Francis. Being the reason why I caused him pain or concern ate up my heart. I reached toward his hand and clutched it in mine tightly, trying to draw strength and normality. I knew my mind was slipping, like the effect of trying to hold water in your hands, and all I could think about was blood. Blood that had been taken away from me, blood that had been smeared on me, blood that had sprayed out of a body because of me. For such violence to exist clawed at my insides like acid, threatening to overspill and to take me whole. I was losing grip on reality, focusing on the wrong's I'd caused and the destruction I'd seen.

But the worst thought of all clouded all of the achievements I'd made this far. Everything I knew to be true suddenly seemed insignificant and trivial. How could I have ever thought that a zombie could be harmless? Especially a zombie like _him. _His claws sliced across my vision… taunting and deadly… his jagged teeth… his glinting, seductive gaze, pulling you in, compelling you to move closer… closer towards your death.

I didn't realise how much I was quivering until I was pulled into Francis' chest, nor had I realised how much my mind failed to register rationality. So many thoughts to think… so many things to consider, and yet we had an eternity to think about it all, an eternity thrown at us because of an infection. There would be no future. No hope or cure for a better world. We were lost in the turmoils of what we failed to acknowledge in this current world. We deserved this way of life. We fucked up.

"Zoey." His voice brought me back beyond my edge of reasoning, one step further and I felt as if I would fall endlessly into the black abyss. "Please talk to me. I can't stand seein' ya like this." I could hear sharp squeals. What an odd noise to hear at a time like this. I wondered where it came from. "Please stop shaking, love. Everything will be okay, ya just gotta calm down." Calmness? Tranquillity? How I would kill for those emotions.

"Zoey, please stop screaming." Hearing those words made my throat clench shut entirely. The screaming stopped, but I could no longer breathe as easily as I could. I was gasping for air, for pieces of rationality, for the person who wilfully did anything she could to protect the ones she loved. I realised then why I couldn't breathe. My gasps turned into moans, and the rationality suddenly pierced itself together. With one look into Francis' wary, concerned gaze, it all leaked out. I burst into tears.

* * *

**Angus' POV**

"Would you like something to drink?" I offered.

The man's expression remained impassive, eyes wide and reddened from his emotional outpour, as they had been for the past twenty minutes. I was used to seeing looks of utter hopelessness on my patients' faces, but I knew the guards' impatience was wearing thin, especially Ivanov.

I nodded towards Eric, one of the military's lacking security officers and he rapidly left the room, no doubt to escape the frenzied man opposite me. I took a deep breath, steadying myself to appear calm. I hadn't personally dealt with the infected before, and it was clear to see that even though someone had been 'cured', I was trying to gain a steady handhold to present myself professionally.

"My name is Angus and I work for the Civil Emergency and Defence Agency. I'm also a doctor. My job is to respond to disasters and to assist in its recovery. But today, I'm here to help you." I focused my complete attention on the man, radiating a calming voice as I spoke. "I would like to ask you a few questions." I paused, reaching for file numbers to list him down on. "I promise this won't take long."

All too quickly the man's eyes shot up from the table to my face. His green eyes studied me fixedly, but he appeared calmer than before. That was a good sign. His trembles slowed slightly.

"What's your name?" I asked slowly, but clearly. I didn't know how much knowledge he would have of his human experiences, or if he would have any at all. But by my given authority, I had to undertake this procedure. The man clenched his hands tightly together, his trembling picked up again. In a quick motion he raked his hands into his brown hair, clenching onto the roots of his head.

The man was hyperventilating, shaken by fear and grief and confusion. He brought his hands back down and slammed them onto the table. I tried my best not to flinch. Ivanov on the other hand, trumped forward angrily, sneering at the man pitifully. "_Ivanov!"_ My hand slammed into his chest. "Stand back. This has nothing to do with you."

The man noticed our apprehension and continued to slam his fists onto the table, gasping and flailing. I knew, internally, he was searching for some ounce of his violence, wondering why it had disappeared as fast as it had, almost as if it never existed. He still wasn't adept with his humanity.

Ivanov glared down at me, his immense height offering strength and power I could never surmount to, but I was his point of authority, and he had to listen to me. "There's no such thing as a cure." He spat, rage burning underneath his grey gaze. "You'll regret ever helping that stupid girl!"

Eric entered the room then, glancing at our fixed poses in fear. He stood frozen on the spot, unsure who he should help. "Ivanov, stand back. I don't want to hear another word. Eric," I turned to face him with hardened professionalism. "Place the water down and stand away."

Eric was the first to move as he placed the cup down beside the man. Ivanov continued to glare at me stonily, but I couldn't show just how much I feared him. Wilfully, I sat back down and motioned to the cup. "Have a drink." My voice was shaking, I had to loosen up. "It will make you feel better."

He glanced down at the cup with uncertainty, almost unsure of how to drink it. His quivering hand reached around the Styrofoam cup, the water dancing violently along the edges, and slowly he brought it to his lips, slurping loudly. _As if it was blood._

I shook the thought from my head immediately. This was no time to think about his previous nature. "What's your name?" I repeated calmly.

The man placed the cup down and looked into my eyes with a sorrowful expression. His eyebrows fumbled, crinkling his youthful skin. "Max." He answered unsurely.

"Max?"

His eyes hadn't left mine, but I could tell he wasn't really seeing me. His eyes were wide and empty, almost as if he was seeing nothing. "Green…field."

"Max Greenfield." I repeated, scribbling his info down. His eyes snapped back into reality then, taking notice of me and my clipboard.

"That's my name." He countered, looking down at what I had written.

"Yes." I didn't want to say that I had only asked for his name seconds ago. He had clearly forgotten and spaced out. "I need you to pay attention to me, Max. I have some things I would like to ask you."

He shook slightly again. "I didn't do anything, I promise! T-That wasn't me. I-I didn't hurt anybody, I swear."

I held his gaze. "I know, Max. I feel safe around you." Ivanov snorted in the corner. I ignored him. "How old are you?"

He thought about it for a second. "What… what's the date?"

"It's the 19th of January. The year is currently 2012."

His face fell. "So much time." He whispered to himself. I was sure the guards hadn't heard anything. I didn't question what he said. "I'm twenty-three." He answered softly.

"Ok—"

"No!" I flinched at his sudden call-out. "N-No, I'm twenty-four now." His expression hardened again. I felt like I could understand how he felt. Had he perhaps missed a birthday during his experience?

"Okay." I held his sight, waiting to see if he would correct himself again. He didn't. "Do you remember when you were awakened?" 'Awakened' was a term CEDA came up with, and then the military adapted by which we referred to when a person had been turned by the infection.

"I don't remember." He answered quickly, shaking his head roughly.

"Please take your time to think about this carefully." I repeated the question.

He took minutes to think, by which it was obvious he _was_ thinking. My only concern was wondering _what_ he was thinking about. Had he remembered parts of his monstrous experience? Had he forgotten pieces of his human life? Was he recalling what it was like to eat someone? And worst thought of all is if he were wondering _where_ had that monster gone. Was it still inside of him?

"I think… it may have been… October." I took it as a great sign that he could recall the name of months. Maybe his human senses hadn't tarnished as much as we'd all thought. Best part of all, October was the month when the infection was gradually showing signs all among the U.S.

"That's great that you remember." I smiled as easily as I could. "We're almost finished and we'll give you your own room so you can rest for a while. I'm sure you'd like that."

Max's lip lifted slightly on one side. It looked more like a twisted smile, but I take what I get. It was better than him wanting to bite my face off.

"Do you remember what it was like… during your… experience?" The man's eyes shot toward me again, clear and grief-stricken. He was paying attention. "Could you describe some emotions you felt?"

"No." He whispered. "No, I don't want to talk about that." He gave me a pleading look, his eyes were tired and strained, but I couldn't stop just yet.

"Please. Anything you say will help. Remember, I'm here to assist you. There are going to be others like you, and we would like for you to help them too. This is the only way."

"I'm sorry. I-I can't." He was shaking again.

I almost reached out towards him to stop his nervous habit. I decided in the last minute that it'd be a bad idea. "Were you… hungry? Were you angry?"

Max raised his hands to his face, the trembles heightening at a rapid rate. "Please." He gasped, breathing uncontrollably. "Don't make me remember." His shuddering reached its maximum as Max's teeth began to grind together.

"Everything is okay, Max. You can calm down now."

"N-N-No it'ssss n-n-not." His hands clasped tighter over his head, and I could see his nails digging into his temples, creative deep grooves within the folds of his skin. If he continued I was sure he would draw blood, and that was a risk we did not want to have on our hands at this time.

I had to calm him down. "Max. _Max. _We're finished for today." He was still trembling. I still had the nerve to console him, but in doing so I was afraid he would lash out, further creating the image of him attacking me, and he didn't need that on his conscience along with everything else. "Let's get you to a warmer room where you can rest."

His breathing slowed gradually and he opened his eyes, peeking through his fingers. "We're going?"

"Yes, Max. I'm going to take you to your bedroom where you'll be nice and comfortable. How does that sound?"

"D-Do I have to talk anymore?"

"No. We won't bother you anymore today. It's time to get some rest." I stood from my seat and ordered Ivanov and Eric to follow quietly behind us until he was secure in his room. Slowly, I bent down beside Max and spoke softly so as not to startle him. "Are you ready to leave?"

Max nodded, folding his arms back down by his sides. We stood at the same time and I slowly reached for his arm in a calming manner. He abided. His skin was warmer than I imagined. I gripped him loosely to guide him around the institution, hoping all the while I had the strength to undertake this with every other patient coming out of their zombie-haze state.

* * *

You may all be thinking 'THIS IS SO SHORT' but I realised it's better to update regularly with shorter chapters than taking months to find time to write a lengthy chapter. I've already started on the next chapter, so keep an eye out for that soon.

On the other hand, I want to get one thing straight:

**December 2012** - Urban legend that the world will end.

**March - May 2012** - Zombies, arm biters, intestine throwers and sudden breakouts of unknown infections in two schools in America.

Okay, now we know there'll definitely be a zombie apocalypse. I found this post on facebook and totally imagined what life would be like. Good thing I've read my Zombie Survival Guide!

On an ending note: this chapter was a tad late... Sorry :/


	31. Anonymous

"Did he attack you?"

"No."

"Did he hurt you, in any way?"

"No."

Tokarski cussed lightly, pulling his gaze away from me. He sighed and stood silently despite his immense figure, and crossed the room towards where Francis was standing. He searched Francis' gaze for answers, not knowing that Francis was just as confused as he was.

Tokarski crossed his arms around himself and walked back over to me with a piercing gaze. "Then what happened?"

There was no way I could hide anything from them, and there was no sufficient answer my brain could think up to distract them from the real truth. I was sure my petty excuses had run dry by now. "Look it's nothing–"

"Cut the crap, Zoey!" Francis cut in. His expression turned from concerned to stormy within seconds. With a flushing face he stomped over to me, bending down on my eye level as I sat on the bed. His grey eyes were filled with such coldness that I felt a chill run down my spine. "We know it wasn't nothing. We know–"

"You don't know anything, Francis." I said softly. "You didn't let me finish." I stopped, waiting for Francis to snap back at me, but he simply waited. I could tell he was trying to control himself from lashing out. Sensing that no one else had anything to say, I admitted my secret. "He bit me."

Both of their expressions simultaneously paled. And though Tokarski already had a pale complexion, he almost looked as if he had contracted the infection. Knowing that wasn't the case, I prepared myself for the onslaught.

"Where did he bite you, Zoey? You have to tell me now! I knew that son of a bitch wasn't as innocent as we thought! If I _ever _see his face again, I'll rip him to shreds!"

"Did you know he was still this violent? This could take us several steps back, possibly ruining our entire chances of having this world cured! I knew this plan would fall to pieces, and I knew it was going to be your fault!"

Venom traced their words, though I didn't take offence to anything they said. They had simply misunderstood the point I was making. I knew they would have jumped to the obvious outcome, though I must admit it was enjoyable to watch them seethe with rage and disappointment.

"Tokarski… Francis…"

It took them a few seconds to calm down, and then a further more to realise I had called their names. Their eyes searched for mine, trying to decipher where I may have been bitten.

I raised my hand to the scar on my neck and met both of their gazes. "He bit me."

They both stared at me in bewilderment, expressions so shocked, I was sure they were speechless.

"He… what?" Tokarski breathed. Struggling to come to terms with what I had just said, I was sure Tokarski had also thought of the man as an innocent person trapped in a zombie-hazed mind. I think now he was rethinking everything… that, perhaps, he had been wrong.

Francis was completely and utterly dumbfounded, staring at me with waves of confusion and jumbled thoughts. "He… bit you?"

Tokarski looked like his mind was back on track to what was taking place around him. He took a step forward, gesturing wildly. "How is that possible–"

But Francis cut him off, taking a bigger step forward. "Let me get this straight," Any minute and I was sure to be lost within the maze of their muscles. I didn't have a strong sense of claustrophobia per se, but they took up a lot of my breathing room.

Tokarski realised what Francis had just done, and because there was little interaction between the two prior to this time, I was sure Tokarski hadn't had time to respect Francis. However, Francis didn't take a second thought about cutting off the Commander of the army.

Then again, how many times had I stepped over Tokarski's plans or treated him as if he was a mere soldier? Too many to count, that was for sure. "This man bit you in Mercy Hospital and then followed us all the way out to Riverside?"

To be honest, I hadn't ever considered that major factor. I was still trying to come to terms with the fact that he had bitten me in the first place. Momentarily forgetting that Tokarski and Francis were still trying to gain their much-needed answers, I was off in my own thoughts.

If the man had indeed followed me to Riverside, there were several significant factors that only questioned my theory of his entire conception. Firstly, he would have had the ability to flee the scene at the hospital without being seen and killed by either of my comrades. The hospital, which as I remembered quite vividly – the bleak and bloodied corridors – the hallway upon which he somehow escaped.

Secondly, he would have transformed before the journey proceeding to Riverside – leaping among trees to follow us or finding a warehouse attic to sleep in while we rested. It was difficult to believe that he travelled on foot as a zombie. From my experience of being on _their_ side, whenever they weren't savagely running for their prey, they were sluggishly slow and dull-witted.

Last of all was the vibrant memory of seeing his appearance for the first time. I was not only distracted by his dissimilar physical exterior, but because of the fact that he was watching me.

But there was something infinitely more important, something I had quickly skimmed over. Where had the man been during my abrupt and immoral 'transformation'? Something was telling me that there was a very obvious answer here; I just didn't have the mind capacity to figure it out yet.

All of the experiences this man had undergone left me temporarily stunned into silence. Why would he have done all that without reason to? Had he, perhaps, wanted to find and follow me? Did he recognise me from his human life? Was he aware of his humanity during his zombie-haze state?

And thus, would that prove his transformation was not only a miraculous thing, but was it also planned? But then, why would he have bitten me in the first place?

I groaned, realising how impossible it was to sift through my thoughts. I hastily recapped them to Tokarski and Francis who had impatiently waited through my internal mind-boggling struggles.

"I wouldn't think about it that way, Zo. He probably chose you at random, it's not like zombies have the ability to think."

"And you're sure about that? You've seen what he can do, how he thinks and acts. For God's sake, he can talk Francis!"

"It's true." Tokarski stated, never taking his sight off me. "All the evidence Zoey has presented is too logistic to be a coincidence."

"Then what does it all mean?" Francis said through gritted teeth. He was challenging Tokarski.

"That he's after something, that he needs something, obviously none of us know the real reason. All we know is he's targeted Zoey from the beginning." Tokarski crossed the room again, clearly lost in thought.

Francis' eyes shifted away from mine, reeling on the linoleum as he struggled to piece his next sentence together. "Are you sure you don't recognise him, or… know him from somewhere?"

I leapt off the bed in a swift movement and reached up to cup Francis' face, eagerly trying to garner every ounce of his attention. "Francis, I love you. I love you so much, it hurts me. It hurts me to think I may lose you one day." I pecked him on the lips. "And I trust you with all of my heart, and I would hope your feelings are the same." I kissed him again, the moment was sweet, though too soon. "But I am telling you, I have never seen him before in my life."

It seemed he didn't need any second guessing or further convincing, because he pulled me into his arms and lowered his head an inch so that his lips met mine. In that moment, I forgot about all of the troubles and speculations I had to deal with – most importantly I seemed to forget about the zombie apocalypse – though only for a moment. The brushing of his lips sent powerful shocks through my body, warming my numb muscles and awakened something inside of me that wanted Francis in every possible way.

I pulled away and searched for his eyes, he regarded me with such love and warmth – though it was laced with specks of concern – but I could see that he loved me. The warmth built up inside of me, though before I could reach up to kiss him again, a deep, rumbling cough filled the room.

I flinched, recalling Tokarski's presence and immediately pulled away. Flushing with embarrassment, my eyes glued to the floor.

"So sorry to interrupt your moment," Tokarski spoke smoothly in a cold voice. "but we need some answers."

My eyes moved from the floor to the wall behind Tokarski. I still couldn't bring myself to look at him directly. "Where are we going to find them?" I asked in a soft voice.

"In the next room," The door opened then, sending in a bright, luminescent light from the corridor. "we're going to visit your special friend."

* * *

Walking in, I recognised the man easily – heavily guarded by the security officers. His eyes shot up toward the entrance to which I had just entered. Upon seeing me, admiration mixed in with bouts of relief and regret washed over his face, landing on a solemn gaze as he regarded me warily.

If we weren't in such dire circumstances, I would have considered smiling at him. However, I didn't expect myself to feel such hostility towards the man, and I could feel a darkness spur on the inside, tightening around my heart. Without thinking about my actions, I approached the man – who was re-constrained by wires – and slammed my fists down onto the table he sat adjacent to.

"What the hell do you want from me?" My voice came out harder and rougher than I intended it to, but right now I was controlled by my rampant emotions – a trait I had a hard time letting go of.

He flinched away, whining to himself. I distinctly heard his claws scuttle against the underside of the table because of his movements.

"Easy, Zoey." Tokarski warned, pulling me back by the shoulder.

The rough force of his hand shoved me back, and before I could do anything else Tokarski produced three chairs opposite the man. I sat down in the middle, directly facing him while both Francis and Tokarski sat next to me.

"We need some answers, and you know it." I muttered boldly. I crossed my arms and leant against the table, closing the proximity between us. If anything, he shrank back – somewhat afraid. "Why did you bite me? What kind of sick and twisted frame of mind were you in to do such a thing?" Fierce anger clouded my thoughts. All I could focus on now was gathering my needed answers.

And then, I felt a hand clasp around my shoulder tightly, followed by a growl. Knowing it was Tokarski who had grabbed me, and Francis who was growling from jealousy, I ignored them. "We know you can talk. You need to say something."

The man shuddered with fear; his claws continued crackling underneath the table. But then I noticed his throat convulsing, and as I watched with sickly compassion and curiosity he tightly whispered, "Sorry."

I flapped my hand flippantly. "Yeah, I got that already. I want to know _why_ you did it."

The convulsing continued, and I realised it was the only way he could force himself to speak audibly without growling or snarling. "Hun-gry." The words sounded like snarls, but they were still clear to hear.

I scoffed. "You were hungry. Is that your excuse?"

He lowered his gaze shamefully, furrowing his eyebrows. I narrowed my eyes.

"Why did you follow me?"

He looked up at me quickly, a rare look to his gaze. I couldn't quite understand it. Admiration? Wonder? I didn't know.

His throat bobbled again. "B-Blood."

My expression turned to disgust as my stomach turned nauseous. "You followed me because of my blood?"

He nodded glibly and didn't say anything else. My mind was a topsy-turvy of emotions and thoughts, some of them coming together, but others failed to piece out the entire puzzle. It looked like the other men hadn't quite figured anything else out yet, and so I turned to leave the room without a second word or glance in the man's direction.

Hurriedly, Francis and Tokarski followed, both expressions filled with confusion. "What now, Zo? Did you understand anything he said?" Francis asked.

Tokarski scoffed. "He didn't say very much." He folded his arms and paced himself again – he was a moving wall of muscle and strength.

"I got nothing." I lied, trying to look defeated. On the inside, a wave of thoughts was tumbling inside my head. I just needed access to one more thing. But I didn't want Francis to be there.

"So what do we do now?" Francis repeated his question.

I met his gaze. "You should go back to the others. You should let them know what's happened."

"What about you?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm going to see if I can get anything out of the man again. It's worth a try." Francis pursed his lips in thought.

"Yeah, I guess that's our best shot now."

"Tell the others that I'm okay. I'll visit them all soon." I smiled with as much strength as I could. Francis nodded, and stepped closer to me, folding me in his embrace and left with a quick kiss to my forehead.

"I'll see you soon."

Once Francis was out of earshot, Tokarski looked back at me, shooting questioning thoughts inside my head. "You're going to try again?"

I laughed haughtily. "No. I need a favour."

Tokarski's lip raised slightly. "You'll need me for that too, I suppose?"

"I always need your help." I muttered. "I need you to take me to the man we cured the other day."

Tokarski's face was marked with confusion. He hadn't been expecting that. "What's your purpose for seeing him?"

I smiled again as he led the way. "You'll find out sooner or later. But I have a feeling it's going to answer some of our questions."

* * *

**Francis' POV**

"Francis!" Bill called to me as soon as I stepped inside the group tent, though it may as well have been a group get-together what with them crowding the room. "What's going on? What's happened?" Several gazes swept over to me in a heart-beat. I saluted them all with a nod of my head.

"You're hair's gonna start to fall off, old man." Bill glared at me with a steely expression. I almost guffawed from seeing it. "Don't worry. Zoey's fine. Everything's fine."

"Zo's okay? Tha's good. Shit man, I ain't never bin so worried 'bout her!" I resisted the urge to smack Ellis upside the head, but I knew Zoey wouldn't have liked that.

It was then, once I sat down to tell them about what had happened, that I realised not everyone was inside the tent.

"Where're the others?" I asked, worrying that something may have happened. Though, I do admit, I felt a hell of a lot of satisfaction that the scumbag conman was out of the room.

Louis turned solemn and half-heartedly bowed his head. "We haven't really spoken to the others. Word's going around that Zoey and Maia got into a fight."

Fight? What kind of a fight? Surely nothing too intense had occurred, though I knew Zoey could probably defend herself very damn well. "What the fuck happened? What did Maia do?"

Matthew spoke then, the only member of their little clan left. "She didn't do anything." He said defensively. I wondered why he was here. "There was a just a fall-out."

I couldn't help myself. "Then why are you here?"

"Francis–!"

Matthew had already cut over Bill's shout. "Because I'm fighting for what's right. What happens between two girls fighting over something stupid has nothing to do with me."

It was then too, that I noticed Rochelle and Coach had probably accompanied the others. "Right. Whatever."

Silence quickly filled the room. I glanced toward the others, but they were already all staring at me. It was annoying, I felt like I was being gawked at. "What the hell is wrong with you guys?"

"God damn it, Francis! What happened in there? Did the cure work?"

"Oh, right. The cure." Louis almost laughed, but Ellis did. Matthew was just waiting patiently. Bill starred daggers at me. I knew it was out of the goodness of his chain-smoking heart. "Yeah, the cure worked. The man is completely human." The images replayed through my mind, and I felt momentarily stunned seeing it again. I knew I had never seen anything like it in my life. "It's… it's amazing to see."

They didn't expect such a sentimental opinion, especially from me, but they accepted it regardless. "Wow." Ellis' eyes shone with wonder. "Aw, man, I wanna see it happen! Do we get to see it?"

"Yeah, I don't know about that, kid." I said truthfully.

"So the man… he's okay? Completely human and… okay?" Matthew was too stunned for words. I knew the feeling.

"If you could see him, he's… he's a mess. The poor guy is beside himself. I think he's blaming himself for everything."

"It wasn't his fault." Louis piped in sympathetically. "He couldn't help it. Everything is forgiven in our books, right guys?"

They each eyed him, some nodding, others agreeing.

"What about Zoey?" Bill spoke. "Is she okay? Will she come back soon?"

I knew in my heart that she was okay, but I couldn't help but feel like she was hiding something from me, and the reason she sent me back here wasn't quite the only one – it felt more like an excuse. But I loved her, and if she didn't want me to meddle with anything, I understood. It just kinda sucked.

"She's fine. She's helping out Tokarski with both of the men. She said she'll come visit when she's finished." _Or free. _I thought.

"And the man…" Bill started.

"The man is… okay. They've drained lots of his blood, and he's actin' a little funny 'round Zoey. But he's healthy." _As healthy as he can be. _

"What do you mean?" Bill asked, suspicion clouding his blue eyes. I couldn't ever hide anything from this man. He read me too easily. Hell, this man could read anyone.

I sighed. "The infected man is the one who bit Zoey."

"In the–?"

"Yes, the hospital."

"When she–?"

"Yes, when she went through that weird zombie-like state."

"How?" Louis chimed in.

"I don't know." I said tiredly. "We think he's been following her ever since. We just don't know why, yet."

"He wants something." Bill stated coldly, figuring it out much faster than any of us did. I swear this man could replace Tokarski any day, and still do a hell of a good job.

"We don't know what." I added.

He narrowed his eyes. "This can't be good." Everyone's expressions revealed a raw edge of suspicion, but their thoughts mirrored my own.

_It's true. This can't be good for anyone. Especially Zoey._

* * *

A/N: Quick update is quick? Yeah, I know, it surprised me too. I've already started on the next chapter, and a few things are going to be revealed, so stay tuned.

You guys are flippin' awesome for reading this far. The hits never stop growing! If I could hug every one of you, I would!


	32. Radar

**Max's POV**

Everything was so quiet today. Everything almost… silent. It was weird. Strange. I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all. Where was all the noise? Shouldn't there be screams and shouts and pleas and wails and snarls and growls and gurgles and snaps?

I didn't like this one bit. Why was I all alone? What did I do wrong? None of this was my fault. None at all. I never intended for harm to come to anyone. Nor had I given any. Okay, maybe once. Or a few. Maybe more than a few. I had caused a lot of deaths. All of them easily remembered.

Suddenly I could hear the shrieks and cries and yells and screeches… and then I saw the blood and guts and brains and flesh. There was so much. I could see it all over my hands. I could feel it all on my face and legs and chest and neck. It was everywhere, unrelenting. Marks of both disdain and pride. I had the ability to kill.

And yet, I lost it. I wasn't the same. There wasn't the same nagging voice at the back of my head. Where did it go? Why couldn't I hear it? Was it still there, hiding underneath this peaceful façade that suddenly appeared? I didn't know. I was scared. Scared of what I was. What I had been. Was it coming back? I didn't want it to. Everything I did was wrong. So many wrongs caused. I couldn't take it all back. There was no forgiveness here.

Forgiveness relied on trust. No one trusted me. I didn't trust myself. I didn't want to. I lacked the emotion to. I had no emotions. Had they gone too? Would they come back? I hoped so. I missed the feelings I once had. But what were they? Surely not the same kind I felt almost a day ago? I could remember those too easily. They racked my brain, swirling and twirling and spinning and dancing.

Anger and hate and smite and power and hunger and pride and strength to devour. They still tormented me. But nothing could come of it as a result. I was numb. Numb from my experience. Numb from losing my emotions. Numb from feeling anything ever again.

I was shaking again. It calmed me. Allowed my body to do something of its own free will. At least I wasn't hurting anybody. Not like I had before. Like how I lunged for her throat. I ripped it apart with my own teeth. It was easy. So easy. Why hadn't I done it before? She was tasty too. I liked that.

The blood appeared on my arms now, leaking down to my fingertips. It was radiant and pure and red and warm. It was hers. It continued oozing around my skin. My finger glided through it. A line devoid of blood. Now, a finger full with blood. It dripped onto the table.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. It was constant with the tick of the clock. Drip. Drip. Drip. And then it stopped. The screaming started again. It pulsed through my ears. It made me angry. I had to shut her up. Shut her up before anyone heard. I grabbed her hair. She shrieked again.

_Stop! Please, stop! Let me go!_

Sarah. It was Sarah. What was she doing here? Some part of me warmed up. I wanted to touch her. Feel her skin. I knew it was warm. Mine was too cold. Just one touch. Just one. One to let her know I loved her. Love? What was love? Nothing important now. She kept screaming. I had to stop it. The voice was telling me to. I had to listen to the voice. And I did.

There was too much blood now. Oh, so much. I smiled and laughed and squealed. It was everywhere. On my feet and knees and shoulders and head. Like a waterfall of pulsing maroon blood. It was pretty.

And all over me. I pushed the table back. There was so much. I didn't like it. I told them I didn't do anything. They couldn't see this. They were going to kill me too. Just like I killed Sarah.

"No." I whispered. It was weird. Strange. I didn't like to speak much. I hadn't before. Why did I have to now? The growls were gone. They were easy to control. My voice was foreign. Was I the one who was talking?

I was the only one in the room. I was talking. I tried again. "Hello." I called out. I grinned. My hands moved to my mouth. I squealed. I felt a warming radiance within me. It was weird. Strange. Different. But I liked it. My hands moved along my face, allowing a hysterical giggle to escape.

But then I could taste it. It was tacky and cold and disgusting. Blood. It was still on my hands. Now in my mouth. I groaned. I was scared. I didn't want it. I didn't want anymore. I told the voice I was finished. I wanted to stop. But it wouldn't let me. None of this was my fault. I swear it wasn't. I told them it wasn't. I told him. The man. He knew. He had to know. He had to believe me.

The water. Water will wash everything off. It will remove the evidence. I didn't kill her. I didn't. It was someone else. The voice told me to. The voice! I wouldn't hurt her. I wouldn't. I didn't. "I didn't!" I was shouting again. So, so strange. But I did like it.

The water. I almost forgot. I grabbed it and splashed it over me. Scrubbing. Harder. It wasn't coming off. It was spreading. "Noooooo," I moaned. Get off me. Get off me. Get off me. I didn't do anything wrong. This wasn't my fault. I told you before. You need to believe me. You had to. I scrubbed harder. The skin was hurting. Reddening. I deserved it. I deserved pain and torture and misery and grief. I would welcome it. I promise. I wouldn't hurt anyone again. Trust me.

And then the blood vanished. I was wet. There was water everywhere. They wouldn't know. I was safe. It was only water. Harmless, hurt-free water. They couldn't blame me. Not now, not ever.

I released a breath. It was weird. Strange. It was okay. It made me feel better. What had I just been doing? What just happened? Why was there water everywhere? It looked pretty. I was thirsty now. I hoped Angus would give me some more. I wanted some food too. I was hungry. Very hungry.

I sighed again. I wanted rest. I was tired. How long since I last slept? I couldn't remember. It would be easy to sleep in here.

Everything was so quiet today.

* * *

**Zoey's POV**

It took a few hours, but we were able to gain access into the cured man's safety zone – all thanks to Tokarski, who, if he hadn't been with me, I would probably be with my other comrades. With his help, we contacted Angus and asked if we could visit the man. Through some hefty persuasion, only one of us was able to go in at a time, and I couldn't help but feel that Angus was protective of the newcomer.

"You need to remember to treat him as equally as you would with anyone else. Don't talk down to him." Angus instructed, writing something down on a notepad.

"Yeah, I got it." I muttered. He'd repeated himself at least five times. "So, I mean, you've seen him right? Is he okay?"

Angus' expression turned solemn. "He's okay as anyone can be. Especially coming out of… well, something like that." I knew he was thinking of the transformation – the one that cured him of the infection. "I think it will take some time before he'll be able to come to terms with what he is. He blames himself for everything. You can see the guilt."

I swallowed. I hadn't thought what effect this could leave on someone returning to their humanity. This was going to be a hard time considering we had a country to cure. But I knew we would get there in the end, no matter how long it took.

"Why can't I be in there with her?" Tokarski asked from behind us. Angus was leading the way to the man's room.

"I don't want him to feel like it's an interrogation. If it means so much to you, sir, I'm sure Ivanov or Eric will substitute their position for you in the meantime."

Tokarski nodded. "Yes, that would be wise. I'll consult with Eric." I grumbled, he was always picking on the younger soldiers, but his authority overruled all, so I guessed Eric would have been too kind to disrespect him.

Angus stopped in front of a solid metal door. Shivering to myself, it reminded me of the safe room doors back in Riverside and Philadelphia. It was Angus who spoke. "His name is Max. Don't call him anything otherwise. Keep in mind what I told you before." He cast a stern eye upon me, and I was sure he knew about my reckless ability to talk whenever the hell I wanted to. I guess I wouldn't be living that down anytime soon. I merely nodded.

He opened the door then, and I was met with a kind face – a face filled with fear. His green eyes caught Angus' and he calmed down, fixing a twisted smile on his tanned face. I realised I was gawking at him, so I shifted my gaze down, found my seat and kept my eyes on everything but Max.

"I remember you." It was Max who spoke, his voice was tight, a little crackled, but I could hear it easily. It wasn't like I expected a growl to come through. I flinched, trying to hide my apprehension. But he continued speaking. "You helped me."

I did, back in the room where he had first been cured. I didn't want anyone to hurt him, but Angus helped him before I could even move. "Yes." Was all I said. I smiled lightly.

"Max." Angus started. Max's gaze shot towards him so quickly that I wondered if he hurt his neck. "This is Commander Tokarski. You're living in this institution that he built for everyone to be safe." I almost snorted, but I kept it to myself. Picturing Tokarski building this entire place amused me. Max merely looked at him once, almost like he was scared, but I could see the kindness behind his tired eyes.

And then Angus gestured to me. "And this is Zoey. She's the reason why you're all better now." Angus tried to smile, invoking a calm and happy atmosphere. I smiled again too, though I was sure we looked like the crazy ones.

Max's eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. He lunged from his chair and placed his hands around mine, clutching them tightly. I almost flinched back until I caught Angus' steady gaze. Tokarski, I realised, had moved toward me, unsure of what to do.

"Thank you. Thank you, Zoey. Thank you so much." His hands tightened around mine. "I'm so sorry for what I did. I didn't do anything. That wasn't me. You have to believe me." My hands were turning red.

And so I did something that stunned the both of us, I unfolded my hands from his and placed them on top, trying to get a grip as strong as he had. My face warmed up, and I couldn't help but grin as I admired his human features. "That's okay, Max. I know you didn't do anything wrong." His expression lightened. "I believe you, and I trust you. I'm happy to see you're doing well."

He breathed in, almost as if he were gasping. "Thank you. Thank you. Anything. If you need anything, I-I'll do anything."

He was shuddering again, just as I saw when I first entered. I don't think he realised just how much he shivered. It was heartbreaking to see, and it sadly reminded me of my grandfather when he died of the Parkinson's disease. "No, Max. You don't owe me anything." As soon as the sentence came out, I regretted it. It wasn't that I needed a favour owed to me by him, but if I was going to try and get the information out of him that I needed – my sole purpose for coming to visit him – then I was going to need some of his guidance and assistance. "There is one thing I would like to ask you." I added.

His fragile eyes met mine, indecision and regret flashed across his expression, but then guilt replaced it. I knew he regretted what he had just said.

"I want to ask you something from your experience, would you help me out, Max?"

"Zoey…" Angus warned, his head shot towards me, eyes blazing.

"Please, Max," I pressed, tightening my grip and bringing them closer towards me – near my heart. "This will really help me." A sad, lost look appeared on my face. "I could use some help, Max."

His expression turned from wary to concerned. He didn't want to upset me, I realised. I felt his hands tighten around mine. "What do you want?" He whispered.

I swallowed before beginning my case. "I want to know what it's like when you bite someone."

"Zoey, we are _not _talking about that today." Angus leapt from his seat and ripped our hands apart. His face turned menacing – it was something I hadn't seen before. His helpful and jovial doctoral façade peeled away, and I could see underlying features of strength and resolution. He cared for Max.

Max's expression softened, even though his arms had just been touched, it didn't faze him. "No." Max started. He reached across the table towards me, trying to touch my hands. "It's okay." I met him halfway and held him again, all the while looking at Angus for signs that he was going to throw me out.

He gritted his teeth, but sat back down, shooting me a steely glare. "Make this quick, Zoey."

I nodded, searching for Max's gaze again. His eyes betrayed his fear and guilt, he didn't want to think about what he'd done during his experiences. But I needed to know them. "What do you feel when you bite someone?" I asked slowly, making sure he understood the question.

And then it was like his expression turned to nothing. He wasn't here in this room, I realised. He was thinking about his past experiences that still tormented him. Worriedly, I gripped his hands again, trying to bring him back to the room. "Tell me what it's like."

"I'm… it's… I'm hungry."

"Yes. But what does it feel like afterwards? When you bite someone?"

"Satisfying." He was gone in his own world again. But that wasn't the answer I wanted.

"What else?" I pressed, running my hands along his arm, trying to get his attention. "What do you feel?"

Knowingly, something lit up his expression. "There's… there's something." He was nodding harshly.

My eyes lit up this time. "There's what? What is it?"

"I don't want to say." He almost pulled out of my grip, but I tightened them again, trying to pull him closer.

"Please. Please, Max." I begged, trying to look torn. "Please help me."

"There's… it's… you feel… you sense them."

I had no idea what he was trying to say. But I was getting something, and that's what's important. "What? What do you sense?" I reached forward, almost standing so that my body was pressed against the table.

"You sense them. The person you bite."

I was trying to understand, trying so hard in my mind and expression to figure out what he was saying. "Are you saying you can sense the people you bite?"

"Yes."

"What do you sense about them? Is it their emotions, or feelings?"

"Yes."

"What else, Max? What else do you sense?" I was desperate, pleading. He had to elaborate on what he was saying.

"You will know. You will know, if they are close. If they are alive."

"So you don't sense anyone if they're dead? Only if they are alive and have escaped?" I was getting something here. I just had to keep pressing for details.

"Yes."

"Is there anything else you need to say, Max? You're doing such a good job." I smiled at him so openly and filled with compassion and care that he flinched from it, almost unbelieving. "I'm so happy you're helping me."

He smiled back, and it wasn't the forced, twisted one he had from earlier. It was genuine, and I could see some of his guilt peel away. It was only a little, but I could see it. He wasn't going to burden himself as much as he had.

I was thankful when he continued. "It's like… a radar. You can sense them." I nodded along, trying to get him to keep talking. "The closer I got, the angrier I was." He shook again, either reliving the memory or trying to shake it away. I couldn't tell.

One thing I could tell was that he didn't want to say anymore, and Angus was already finishing up our visit as quickly as he could. I had to be thankful that I got in here at all, but I was also immensely grateful towards Max for revealing such information. Things became a lot more clearer.

"Well, Max, it's time for Zoey and the Commander to leave. Would you like to say goodbye?"

"Yes." Max simply nodded towards Tokarski, and when he turned to look at me, he stood from the table. He walked slowly, and a little shakily, but he embraced me and tucked his face in the locks of my hair. "Thank you. Thank you so much." I hugged him back, trying to help him remember what human companionship felt like.

"You're welcome." He let go of me then, and I placed both of my hands across his cheeks. "And you're forgiven. For everything. Remember that." His eyes lit up with such pleasure and happiness, that I felt my heart lift in return. We left shortly thereafter, Tokarski and I making our way back to the main zone of the institution, back to where I would see my comrades.

"You presented yourself well in there, I have to admit." Tokarski wasn't one for heart-warming conversations, so this was a first for him.

I smiled, remembering Max. "I was worried Angus was going to chuck me out if I continued. But at least I got the answers I needed."

One of Tokarski's eyebrows lifted. "Oh? And they were?"

"Well you heard what he said." I was trying to mentally collect all the information together and match them with the infected man's experiences. "He said that once a human was bitten, he could sense their whereabouts, as well as their emotions and how they were feeling. He spoke as if it was like a radar, sensing those around you who had been marked and those who hadn't."

"He mentioned that it didn't work if the person had died." Tokarski added. "Do you believe that?"

"Yes, I do. Everything shuts down in the body once you're dead. So why should the radar work? It wouldn't." It especially didn't work for me as I recalled _my _experiences.

"And so what does all of this mean to you?" the Commander knew the answer, but he was simply testing me.

"Well, when the infected man first bit me, not only was I infected from him, but he was able to sense me from that point in time. From then, it was easy – and that's when he started following me. He knew what I was feeling, he knew of those I loved, and he's known about my goal ever since I first met him."

"Good." Tokarski said. "But there's one more question."

I sighed. "And that is?"

"Why did he choose to bite you in the first place? Why not anyone else?"

My guess was easy, and though obvious, it was as sure as I could imagine. "Because I was his prey. It didn't matter whether I was his first or not." A small thought hit me then. "After first biting me, maybe he could already sense that I wanted to help bring peace back. Maybe he could also sense I had the ability to. After all – my blood is different to everyone else's – and he must have noticed that too. There was always something different about me, he was curious and cautious, and maybe that's why he's followed me ever since."

Tokarski scoffed lightly. "You're using 'maybe' a lot. How can you ever be sure?"

"I can't, at least not yet." I said truthfully. "But I will one day – when he does get cured. I'll get my final answers."

* * *

**Max's POV**

Zoey. Zoey. Zoey. Zoey.

She was kind. Sweet. Helpful. The reason why I was here. The reason why I was healthy. I still owed her. No matter how much I helped out today. I would owe her for the rest of my life. She deserved it. And she deserved happiness.

But it was her eyes that startled me most. They showed compassion. Honesty. Strength. They were her eyes. Sarah's eyes. They were the same. I saw forgiveness in there.

She had forgiven me. Sarah had forgiven me. And so had Zoey.

My heart lifted then. Such a strong swelling, I didn't know what it was. But I was happy. I was so happy to be alive. Happy to be me. I couldn't grieve any more. There was no more guilt. I could not focus on that. I had to be strong like Zoey. I had to move on and help others. Zoey helped me. And though I helped her today, it wasn't enough.

I would help her for the rest of my life. I would help the others out of their state. I could teach them strength, like Zoey had for me. Forgiveness. Morals. Moving on with one's life. Helping others. It is what I have now. It is what they will need.

For the first time in a while, I smiled, remembering Sarah's kind and beautiful face. Though I missed her with all of my heart, I knew she would live on in my memories. We would have grown old together, and had a porch filled with grandchildren. But now, as I sat here in my room thinking of her, I know she would always look down at me and be proud of how far I'd come.

But most importantly, I can live on in peace knowing that I am forgiven.

Thank you, Zoey.

* * *

A/N: First thing's first: I know I said a few chapters back that this story is nearing its end - though I'm not contradicting that, I can tell you there are still quite a few chapters to go. How many exactly, I have no idea, but I can't really judge based on my writing.

ANYWAY at least we got another revelation - and trust me, there are many more revelations to come. I think this chapter was the most fun to write, mostly because I had the chance to delve into Max's mind. The psychotic ones are always entertaining to write.

Also, updates are coming weekly, though if there are problems they could be delayed by a day or two. Details about my uploads are regularly updated on my profile page, so check that out if you want to know when the next one will be out.

Again, you readers are so amazing and without your continued support this story would have ended long ago - or maybe would have been neglected, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. Next achievement is reaching 200 reviews! HELP ME OUT, GUYS!

On an ending note: BlueEyedMonster32, please don't be a stalker.


	33. Bloodstream

With little to do around the institution, everything became a waiting game. Weeks passed gruellingly slow and uneventful, and there was nothing of much interest or excitement to take us out of the rut, but we relied on each other's company and made the best of our times. After all, plans were already made to continue the restoration of the country, and I knew Tokarski, along with Angus, were leading an important mission to have everyone in this zone stamped as 'cured'.

I had inside access to their plans, and I visited them regularly to check on their progress, though I was yet to see how many more newcomers we had posted as cured from the infection. I could see that the security officers were growing wary of all the newcomers, and if it weren't for Max, I was sure things wouldn't be as calm as they currently were.

He was a major player in this entire plan, and without his intuition and assistance, our task would be immensely harder than it already was. He provided help to those around him, offering kind words or a shoulder to lean on, even going as far to prove that nothing had been their fault. It was a state that none of them had control over, and that none could overcome until this moment.

Max was working overtime too, and though this was entirely volunteer work (after all, how could he get paid for doing something like this...) I didn't see any ounce of restlessness. Though I knew he was tired dealing with everyone's personal struggle – as well as what remained of his – I also knew that he needed this as much as they all did. I could tell he wanted to prove to everyone just how much he wanted peace. That, and a guilt-free environment. If I could, I would give him a gold medal for everything he's achieved and strived to do for others.

As for the infected man, he was constantly donating bags of blood. I had also donated several blood bags and as they had been tested for the zombies kept in the institution, the doctors experimented with as little as a few drops of blood each which still stimulated the cure. It was unbelievable to comprehend – especially with such little blood, but the results were clear and proven – something none of us had expected.

Although such little increments were needed for each person, one had to understand that we still had a country to save, and with hundreds of thousands to be cured, we'd still need as much blood as we could. With such a loss of blood, I had the help of my teammates around me, and even the constant care of Tokarski's institution allowed rest to come easily.

My visits to the man were also continued. I liked to think I was providing him with solitary company which was something we both needed. Though things had been shaky between us in the last few weeks, I couldn't help but offer him a chance to talk to someone he was comfortable with. Sometimes Bill accompanied me, talking of times passed, and even some of his stories included his struggles in the Vietnam War. Francis was kind enough to stay out of his way, I could tell he still hadn't forgiven the man for his past discrepancies, but I knew it would take time for their relationship to grow again.

As for relationships, there was little going on between our old comrades. The situation was still unstable and sometimes it was an "us" and "them" environment. I would always be loyal to my group of three, along with Matthew and Ellis. On the other hand, Coach had become a distant acquaintance, and the only time we conversed was with a brief nod of our heads each time we passed each other in the survivor zone. As for Rochelle, Maia and Nick, they were classified as part of the extreme "them" zone, and there was never a time that we were seen together.

It seemed they weren't bothered to patch things up between us, so I was content to keep things as they were, even if I had been the one to spark to separation in the first place. I had more important matters to attend to, like saving the country, rather than teaching ditzy girls their life lessons. I supposed I was being harsh, but I was simply not in the mood to care.

Especially today of all days. With a throbbing headache, I made my way toward the entrance of B-21 but took a sharp left turn and headed down the narrow hallway for the infected man's room. With Francis snoring all night, I found it difficult to sleep, and without my sleep, I never functioned as well as I should.

My visits were purely for company, but in between our "draining" and "recovery" processes I helped the man by improving his communication. His voice was always raspy and rough and I would try my best to have him endure speaking exercises. I knew the state of his infection, and with a Smoker's tongue, I realised it would be difficult to speak as well as Max had, but I continued each week, making little progress. After all, it was hard to say how far his tongue was lodged down his own throat. I always shivered thinking about it; sometimes it was too unpleasant to comprehend.

Though we were able to communicate easily these days, I never forced any answers from him, whether they be why he attacked me, to simply asking him his name. I wanted those things to come by in time, and by biding my patience, I knew they would come one day.

My hours passed quickly with the man, and it wasn't until I was almost halfway to the cafeteria that I noticed the Commander step in line next to me, a slightly smug expression on his pale face.

"What's made you so happy?" I started, looking up at his amused expression, slightly hidden by his slick, black hair. "I already donated my bag o' blood this week. Force anymore and I won't have any left."

He cockily raised his lip, though never outright smiled. "With what I have to report to you, I'm willing to bet you'll want to drain yourself entirely." His smug smile grew wider. "Maybe even a few old friends too."

Tokarski was aware of my previous discrepancies with the old teammates, though making fun of them was something I was sure I'd never see. "What's the great news then? Because I may just take up your offer."

He snorted, trying to mask his laugh. "With all of the donations you two have been making, we've got quite a supply stacked up and ready to go."

"Yeah." I nodded. "I've seen the newcomers. They aren't _that_ difficult to spot, Tokarski." He rounded the corner and I followed along, dragging behind with my shorter legs. "Spit it out, what is it?"

"Well, we can't guarantee the supply will be ready for everyone just yet, but give or take a month or so and I think it's safe to say we can use the cure on him."

I stopped walking. Guessing by the look on my face, I was sure Tokarski would be in a fit of giggles on the floor, though that was a sight I would never see, no matter how much I tried to imagine it. "You're saying he can be cured soon?"

Tokarski's expression turned even haughtier. I could see the confirmation sparkling behind his dark eyes.

"Holy shit."

"Somehow, I knew that would be your reaction." He said amusedly, leading passed a double set of doors. The cafeteria would be looming up ahead in the next few bends.

"I honestly don't know what to say. It just seems too unreal to imagine, you know?"

"At least you'll get your answers." He confirmed, reading behind my eager expression.

I grinned. "And his name."

He sighed. "Is that really important? Why don't you just ask him now?"

"I don't know." I shrugged my shoulders. "I'd rather he told me himself. Why, wouldn't you want to know it?"

His eyes gleamed in the luminescent light. "I do know it."

My mouth flew open. "What?"

But before I could muster up the momentum to whack Tokarski, an image flitted across my peripheral vision so quickly, that when I spun my head around, I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing. Memories came back, those that haunted me almost each night suddenly seemed so real and substantial that I was sure I was living the nightmare again.

A piercing shriek erupted down the corridor, several feet away from us. And then I heard a distinctive and menacing growl, one I recognised much too easily. Sprinting from our posts, Tokarski and I fled down the corridor, watching in horror as a zombie tackled down a young woman.

Her screams heightened along with her fear as the zombie bent over her body, snapping and scratching at her arms. Gasps fled out of me so quickly, that I picked up my speed again, trying to match it with the Commander's.

He reached the scene first, and with his might he threw the zombie off the woman. Realising he was going for her, I grabbed the zombie's arm and pulled him back, pushing as hard as I could against his chest and forcing him to fall to the floor.

I couldn't be frightened now, but I knew I was at a disadvantage without any weapons. Tokarski may have upper body strength, but I was physically lacking against this man. It didn't matter though, because the survivors' safety always came first. So instinct kicked in.

I pushed the zombie away again, and though he reached for _my _arm this time, I moved out of the way just in time to grab the back of his head and swing it toward the wall closest to me. It hit solidly, but it didn't knock him out. Without waiting for his sudden lashing movements, I restrained his arms around his back and pulled against them as tough as I could, trying to induce pain. He screeched so loudly I was sure my ears had popped.

But I couldn't give up now. I had to remind myself that I was immune: it was okay to touch him.

My worries need not last long, however, as several security officers and doctors noticed our disarray and sprinted in our direction. The man was immediately taken out of my hands, and forced upon the floor. I watched as Doctor Muller plunged a needle straight into his neck before the zombie lay unconscious.

"What the hell happened?" Tokarski's deep, rumbling voice pounded around the walls, popping my ears a second time. "How did he get unrestrained?" The look on his face made me wish I was no longer here. I felt like I had been a part of the incident and wanted to flee the scene.

Doctor Muller was puffing from the strenuous run. "I-I'm sorry, Sir. It won't happen again."

Tokarski struck out his arm, pointing his finger into Muller's chest. "It better not." His voice was arctic cold, so menacing that I had to turn away from his raw and animalistic features. He turned to one of his officers – one I recognised as Ivanov. "Get him out of here." Tokarski regarded the zombie with such hatred and disgust that I felt like he was suddenly a different person to the man I knew. "Angus," I hadn't even realised he was here. "take her to Doctor Maccarrone." He signalled to the young woman – the one I had momentarily forgotten about during this entire calamity.

"I'll take her." I offered quickly, grabbing her gently by the arm. She flinched away, and as I caught her haunted gaze, I noticed the blood dripping down her neck. She had been bitten. I swallowed, tightening my hold and signalled for Tokarski to follow me.

I led on, not waiting for the Commander as he shouted several more obscenities at the other doctors and officers. Instead, I tried to calm the girl down. I didn't remember her name well… was it Jane? Joan? I figured I'd ask her later. "Everything's going to be okay." I tried to hide the shakiness of my voice. "We'll get you patched up quickly."

I heard a hissing noise and realised too soon that it was coming from the woman next to me. Her golden hair stood on end in messy wisps, and her hazel eyes were wide with horror and distress. "It's happening all over again."

I didn't realise what she was speaking about, so I deduced my own conclusion. "It's not. The guards mustn't have had him secured as well as they should have. It's not going to happen again, I promise."

"No." She whispered hysterically. "I-I'm going to turn again, aren't I?"

I gulped. I hadn't even considered that. Hiding my fear for the worst, I fed her a white lie. "You'll be fine." I knew she didn't believe me.

We reached the medical wing within a few minutes, and as soon as we passed through the double doors I was shouting for Dora. Her head popped out from a corner door, shock and disbelief radiant in her features.

"Quick! Bring her in here!" Without wasting any time, I half-dragged the girl inside and lay her down on a hospital bed.

"I just heard what happened." News must have travelled fast here, that, or she'd gotten a call from the Commander or Angus. "I don't even know how something like this is possible. It's never happened before."

"You're telling me." I said dryly, helping Dora dress in her doctoral gear. I gestured to the girl on the bed. "I think she's in shock. She hasn't responded to anything I've said in the past few minutes."

Dora sighed, grabbing her medical utensils and a wrap of bandages. "That's going to be a problem." She whispered to me. Turning toward the girl, she said, "Don't worry Jana, we'll get you better soon." Jana. I remembered her now. I'd passed her a few times on the way to visit the infected man. I was sure she was cured within one of the first few weeks. She'd always smiled at me, radiant and beautiful. Now, however, I wouldn't expect such a thing – not with half her neck bitten off.

I don't think Jana realised Dora had been cleaning her neck wound as she never looked up from the floor. Her expression never lightened – never flinched, even when the doctor had applied a tonic to prevent further infection.

"Is she going to be okay?" I asked softly, trying to ensure it was Dora who heard me.

"She'll be fine. Her neck has a few puncture marks, but nothing too serious." She finished up with the bandages and stepped back to put her equipment down. "I'm not sure if she's going to be _okay._"

I could tell the difference. Jana would be okay in normal circumstances, but being cured didn't mean she was immune. Would being bitten trigger the infection a second time? It was something I hadn't considered. Something I wasn't sure I wanted the answer to.

"She just needs to rest her mind, and her body. I'll keep her in here for the next few days, just to keep an eye on her." Her eyes spoke many unsaid words. _Keep an eye on her for further infection. _

I nodded, unsure what else to do. "Right."

The Commander burst inside the door just then, frightening the three of us. He signalled for us outside, and merely glanced at the frigid girl for a second before heading out. Dora made some re-adjustments and allowed Jana to lie down, covering her with a light blanket and instructing her that she'd be right back.

Upon facing Tokarski, I was suddenly frightened. "What's going on?" Dora started before I could get a word out. "Have they had him re-restrained?"

"I don't know what to think about this." His eyes lingered on mine. "This is something none of us ever would have expected." That was a first.

I gulped. "What is it?" I said through gritted teeth, readying myself for the worst.

"I don't know how to say this," he said, pacing around the room. I had a feeling the pacing was coming. I wanted to kick him in the leg. "He's been cured."

My head moved on its own accord, searching both Dora and Tokarski's eyes for signs of doubt. Dora was just as bewildered as I was. "Because of the blood." She whispered, reeling the information in easily.

"I don't get it!" I shouted, trying to gain their attention. "How did he get cured? Didn't Doctor Muller cure him then with the syringe?" I asked.

"No." Tokarski declined, backpedalling towards us. "That was a solution to render him unconscious. The man was cured during his state of unconsciousness. And you are right, Doctor Maccarrone," His hardened expression turned to Dora. "Angus shares your similar insight."

"What insight?" I interrupted, searching for Dora's gaze. "What did you mean about the blood?"

Dora leaned against her work bench, she lifted her hand so that it gently cradled her chin. "I hadn't thought of it before, it only struck me now when Commander Tokarski mentioned it. Think about it like this, Zoey: Jana had already been cured, which means your blood and Subject X's blood are both in her bloodstream." I figured 'Subject X' was the infected man. At least I wasn't the only one around here who didn't know his name. "Once the zombie bit into her neck and came into contact with her blood, not only had it been consumed, but it was also splattered all over his body – particularly _his_ neck."

Tokarski was now lost on Dora's words. It put a smile on my face. "So far it looks like the cure only works if your blood and Subject X's blood are inserted into the bloodstream, rather than consumed. Once Doctor Muller had plunged the syringe into the zombie's neck, Jana's blood must have entered his bloodstream through the hole created with the needle."

"Is that even possible?" I asked, uncertain of Dora's readings – not that I was going to contradict her. I wasn't the doctor. But I knew medical needles weren't that large.

"The hole doesn't have to be centimetres wide. If her blood had come into contact with his once the syringe was removed, then that's the only way her blood had entered his bloodstream which triggered his cure."

Tokarski was now up to speed, considering everything as a sufficient piece of evidence. He cocked an eyebrow at me, encouraging me to believe her words. I was just as dumbfounded as I was before, but I believed her.

"How is she?" Tokarski's head motioned to the door behind us. "Do you think she will turn again?"

Dora's face masked her uncertainty. "We can't be sure. I'll have someone check on her regularly." Tokarski nodded, sighing in the process. We hadn't been expecting such an incident-filled day. It reminded me of earlier times. "I've also taken some of her blood and I'll run some tests to prove if she's come up with signs or symptoms of an infection."

"I'll come by tomorrow to review them with you." Dora acknowledged Tokarski's request and bid us farewell before returning back into the room with Jana. Tokarski and I continued on our way back to the main zone.

"Just think, by the end of tomorrow we'd have cured another man by an interesting and never-before-seen means, as well as ensured that those who are cured can't be infected ever again." What a day.

"We can't be sure of that last one just yet. We need to take into consideration the fact that she has an equal chance of turning again. But of course, we're hoping for it."

I nodded along, letting conversation dwindle between us. Silence suddenly encompassed us, and as we neared the scene of the attack, I distinctly remembered the conversation we had shared.

"So you really know his name?" I pressed.

He sighed, and laughed lightly. It was a rare sight, so I relished in it. "Yes. But if you're hoping that I'm going to tell you, well, I'm not."

I raised my hands in the air. "Why the hell not?"

He laughed again, the sound rich and warm to my ears. "Because some things are better left unsaid."

* * *

A/N: Yay for a zombie attack! - sorry about that Jana. Though would anyone like to know his name? Or do you think you'd have a better one for what I have planned?

Chapter 34 should be up next week so stay tuned for more possible zombie attacks or even a crush confession between Tokarski and Francis. I sure as hell wouldn't want to miss that!


	34. Fury

The news of Jana's attack spread like wildfire within the institution, and it caused complete mayhem within our borders. The security officers had immediately tried to restore order as best they could without further frightening the survivors. After Tokarski had calmed down the interior to some extent, he ordered his primary doctors to take leave for a few days in order to restore their fatigue.

Angus' team stepped up their work, and covered the two main bases within our doctoral quarters. He was in control with the use of the blood bags at the curing station, as well as the aftercare procedure with Max as his assistant. I knew Angus would be running on overtime, but he was strong enough to take on his duties for the time being.

In the meantime, Tokarski assured me that I had no obligation for such duties since I had just finished my weeks' worth of blood donations. Regardless, I wanted to help those who had been cured and reassure _them_ that they were going to be okay. It was hard enough dealing with the experience by one's self, and I knew the self revulsion and the guilt would be eating them up from the inside.

Being released from my duties allowed me to visit my comrades back by the tents. With a cafeteria crowded with cured survivors, mayhem constantly broke out, and the security guards could only handle so many people in one day. Our group preferred the safety of the tents, as well as the privacy they ensured. Here, I was able to reveal everything about the attack on Jana and the Commander's theories towards her predicament.

"We heard about the attack." Matthew spoke from across the room, leaning against a bean pole that supported his bed. His dark, curly hair was longer than it used to be. Beautician needs were hard to come by in an evacuation zone. "I didn't believe it was possible for something like this to happen."

"None of us did, kid. We expect safety within these walls, not the dreaded undead coming back to haunt us." Bill sighed, and continued to polish his boots, the same boots he'd swore to wear each and every day. It was true that I hadn't seen Bill without his army uniform.

"It was just a mistake, Bill. I'm sure the doctors have everything under control." Louis sat across from me, his face always bright and radiant with positivity. I found it difficult to maintain such an outlook on life, but Louis never failed to show his optimism.

"There's more that you guys don't know about." I felt Francis' arm around me tighten, his fingers digging into the back of my arm. He sat beside me, a hulking mass of muscle and ink that would always protect me. But it was impossible to protect me from the truth of the situation.

"What's happening, babe?" Francis murmured into my ear, his grey eyes sparkling with intensity and wariness.

I took a deep breath and faced the remainder of my friends. "I've already filled you all in on the recent details about the radar that the zombies feel towards us, but there's even more that we have uncovered. It's true that Jana was attacked, but Tokarski and Dora have formulated their own little theory about her recovery."

I caught Bill's expression, his eyebrows furrowing. "Are you saying she's okay?"

"We don't know yet. I'll be leaving soon to get in touch with Dora, but from what they've discovered, it seems that the cure is even more monumental than we realised." I tightened my hand around Francis', silently pleading for him to lift his weight off my arm. He did so obediently, rubbing it tenderly in apology.

"How monumental are we talking?" Matthew asked, suspicion clouding his expression.

"They think that once a person has been cured with my blood, that they will never be able to contract the infection again."

Bill's eyes tightened. "Even if that person has been bitten?"

"Yes."

"Whoa." Matthew exhaled, rubbing his forehead before taking a seat next to Louis.

Louis exchanged glances with him, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "But that's good news, right?! Think about how many of these people are protected from the infection! This will definitely bring an end to the disease entirely."

"I know." I smiled, just a little. But on the inside, I wanted to explode with happiness and accomplishment. _So close. We are so close to bringing this to an end._

"Will Doctor Maccarrone have her results by the time you visit her?" Bill questioned, speculation in his tone of voice. He almost couldn't believe it himself.

"I hope so."

"I want to come with you."

Francis spoke up from next to me, his breath lightly fanning my face. "I-"

He cut me off, a mix of determination and sincerity spreading across his expression. "I want to come. I want to help out in any way I can."

I reached out to cup his cheek, feeling his facial hair tickle the inside of my palm. "I appreciate that so much, Francis. But the matter of the fact is… I don't think they need our help anymore." Still holding his face, I turned to the others. "The blood bags are ready to go. In a matter of weeks our infected friend may be completely cured, and we'd have enough of a supply to cure the country."

"They're ready?!" I didn't think Louis' expression could become any happier. I was waiting for bright sparkles to appear on top of his head.

I laughed, the joy of such happiness finally escaped, and for once I felt free. "They're ready. And I know Tokarski will be ready to use them soon."

"How will it work? Syringes? A tonic? How has the Commander planned to use the blood?" Bill asked, his militaristic trait overshadowing his excitement.

I wasn't sure if I was allowed to reveal such information, but then I realised I would be hiding things from the people I consider to be my family – the most important of them all, Francis. "Guns. We're using guns."

"Guns?" They all spoke in unison, all shocked at the news. I couldn't help but feel shocked at their surprise. What else would they have expected?

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Louis piped in, his face frowning for the first time today.

"More like fun." Francis remarked.

Bill leaned forward, tilting his head as if all the answers would rush to him. "How are guns going to be of use, Zoey?"

"We're not loading them with bullets. Tokarski promised me that."

"Then what?" Matthew asked before Bill could.

"We're using special darts that have the blood serum inserted into them. Once you pull the trigger at your target, it shoots directly into the flesh, past the muscle and into the bloodstream. It causes an immediate effect if shot at the correct target."

Louis and Matthew's faces both portrayed their dismay, though I could see Bill's lighting up a little. "I suppose that is an effective approach. Will they have professionals handling the weaponry?"

"Well," I paused, taking a breath to prepare myself for their next surprise. "we would practice using them."

"We?"

"You're going back out there?!"

"Wouldn't you all?!" I lashed out at them, expecting this exact response. "I told you it's exactly as before, I'm not forcing you into this decision." My eyes were particularly focused on Matthew. "You want in, you'll get in. We can use the help. And I know," I cut off the protests that followed. "I know this means we'll be out there again."

There was a lengthy pause before anyone spoke, the details difficult to sink in to their shocked minds. "I don't know, Zoey." Bill muttered.

"That's entirely up to you. But I want to do this. We're so close! So close to getting our world back. I can't not be involved."

"I'm in." It was Francis' voice, and for a moment my heart fluttered in fear. I couldn't lose him. Not when we were so close…

"Me too." Matthew spoke up before I could reply. "I won't let Daniel's death be in vain."

Louis remained undecided. Bill continued to stare at me as if I already knew what he was thinking. And it was true, I did.

"This is horseshit..." He lifted his beret and flattened his lofty, white hair. Placing it back down, he sighed. "Alright, let's do this."

I released a breath, allowing my smile to crawl back. I knew it wasn't intentional on my part, but it pleased me to know my comrades would be next to me during the ordeal.

"Okay. That's it then." I turned to face Louis as I stood from the bed, and fixed him with a level stare. "The decision is entirely yours, Louis. Just get back to me when you've made your choice."

His lip lifted on one side, the optimism enhancing his features. "You already know my answer, Zo."

"I appreciate all your help guys. When I have more information I'll fill you in." Francis stood from the bed, expecting my leave.

"You have to go?"

"I'll be back soon." I kissed him swiftly, knowing we had company. "I love you."

"I love you too."

I left the tent and zipped it closed before making my way back to the cafeteria. Without even taking five steps I could distinctly hear Matthew's voice.

"You're so whipped."

There was a thundering set of footsteps, a loud snap and then an audible "Ow!" Chuckling to myself, I headed towards the cafeteria, avoiding the watchful eyes of my old comrades.

* * *

I arrived within the female medical wing in under ten minutes to find the block completely empty. With a hasty search for Dora, I led myself to Jana's room and knocked on it softly, hoping to expect a black mane of hair to appear beyond the door.

"Is that you, Dora?"

After contemplating running away from hearing Jana's voice, I reluctantly opened the door to find a calm face bordered with beautiful golden hair. Her hazel eyes pierced into me suspiciously, and then they flashed with recognition.

"I guess Dora's not in." I remarked stupidly, a heavy incense of awkwardness coating the air.

"She went to visit the Commander." Her voice was calm and clear, almost as if the trauma from her incident had been completely forgotten.

"Right. Will she be back soon?"

"Any minute, I hope." So did I.

I caught sight of the bandage across her jugular and lowered my sight once she noticed me staring. With a quick release of breath, I leant against the wall beside her open door, feelings of compassion warming up inside of me. "How are you feeling?"

She nodded before she spoke, almost trying to compel herself into believing her emotions. "Better. There's been no change, if that's what you're wondering."

I hastily shook my head and joined her on her bed, providing her with the space she may have wanted. "That's not it. But I'm really glad to hear that you're feeling better." I paused for a moment, wondering if what I had planned to tell her would be appropriate. "I understand what you're going through."

Her eyes narrowed and she dipped her head, lowering her voice in fear of someone overhearing. "You were bitten too?"

I realised I was wearing my red hoodie today, and so my scar would have been easily hidden beneath the fabric. I reached toward the zipper and pulled it down, exposing my collarbone and tilting my head to the left so that she could see my scar.

She held in her gasp, though her body still involuntarily pulled away from me, her eyes wide with disbelief. I watched as she collected herself, and took a deep breath before planting a smile on her face. "I guess we should consider ourselves lucky to have Zoey's blood. If it weren't for her, I'd be…"

She left her sentence unfinished, the kind of sentence many of the survivors would have also left unsaid. But her words also sparked something within me: she didn't know who I was.

"I'm pretty certain Zoey knows that you're thankful for everything."

"Oh no," she giggled a little, a blush crawling along her cheeks. "I've never met Zoey. I wouldn't know who she is."

I laughed outright, a collective wave of giggles escaping for the second time today. I watched as Jana's cheeks reddened even further, embarrassment evident in her features as she stared me down. "What's so funny?"

"My name is Zoey."

"You're Zoey?" She whispered, her bright eyes bugging out at me. "_The _Zoey?"

"It's nice to officially meet you." I extended my hand in common courtesy, but she grabbed at it instead and pulled me to her, launching me into a bear tight hug.

"Oh my God, thank you so much! Thank you for everything!"

I patted her back gently, trying to regain as much air as possible. "You're welcome." I grunted, pulling back delicately.

She shoved me back a little roughly, but her excitement was imminent in her posture. She didn't mean any harm. "So you're the reason why I was cured! I had no idea, I mean, at first, who could? My mind was all sketchy and weird, and my emotions were _way_ out of control. This all seems so surreal, because it never seems like the victims meet their superhero, and yet I'm in the same _room _as her! I mean, wow, right?!"

I couldn't stop the chatter coming out from her, and she didn't seem to want to stop, nor did she realise that she _wasn't _stopping. However, it didn't bother me, it only filled me with elation and strength. I was part of the reason why these people were healthy and human. What more could I want?

"Wait. You said you had been bitten?" Her rambling finally stopped, and I witnessed the change in her expression. She was wary.

"Yes. I was." I clarified, unsure of her motives.

"How did you get cured? It's your blood, right? How does that even work?"

Her speech left me a little stunned, and a little hurt. But her curiosity was true. How was I ever going to get back to normal? There were times when I could lash out at my friends, or when I could feel something crawling beneath my skin. Would I have to control that for the remainder of my life, or could we work something out with Dora and Angus? A special cure?

"My bite is a little different from yours." A monumental understatement, but I couldn't get into too many details. "My blood is also different, and so my body never completely mutated with the infection." She started to protest, but I cut her off before she could mutter a word. "It's true that I was a little sick, I had my monster moments, but I was able to regain my humanity back by myself, and I remember being able to think clearly and concisely about my _true _motive."

"And that was?"

"I wanted to find my partners again. I had gotten separated from them during my ordeal, and I willingly forced myself apart from them so that I couldn't hurt them." My mind flashed back to the hospital. Bloodied corridors… several infected… one pair of white, flashing eyes… the pain…

"Zoey? Are you okay?"

Her soft voice snapped me from my haze, and I realised I had stumbled on my words. The nightmare of that one night still hadn't left me. "Sorry, mind blank." I giggled and leapt from the bed. Before I could leave the room, Jana grabbed my left arm and forced me to look at her.

"What you've been through must have been really tough, and I'm sorry it was like that." Her eyes shone in the luminescent light, igniting compassion and sympathy. "If you ever want to talk, I'd love to hear more about it. Even if you don't want to talk about it specifically, I'll still like to hear more about you."

I smiled and squeezed her hand. "Thanks, Jana. That would be really cool."

"Great." Her smile lit up the room even more. "Also, if you see Dora, could you tell her I'm ready for my meds?"

"Sure. I'll see you later."

As I turned to exit the room, I almost crashed into the person we were both expecting. Her body was still catapulting towards mine, and I knew the inertia would knock us both painfully apart. Expecting the collision, I grabbed at her arm and swiftly swung her away from me, the impact causing her to hit the wall beside me.

Aware of my own inhuman speed, all I could focus on was Dora's befuddled appearance.

"H-How did you do that?" she gasped, her breathing at its peak. It sounded like she had been running.

"I didn't do anything." I lied, trying to appear normal.

Dora collected herself, and brushed her dark hair away from her face. "The Commander wanted me to find you," her thoughts had swiftly changed to the matter at hand, thankfully forgetting about my bizarre incident. "We have new information."

I knew this was in regards to Jana's case, though Dora didn't want to leak anything to her. "Right. We should visit Tokarski then." Dora nodded, and led me out of the room, quietly telling Jana that she'd be right back with her medication.

Once Jana's door was shut, she led me toward her desk and offered me a seat. She folded herself into one, and laid her arms out in front of her. "She's been cleared."

"Cleared? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Commander Tokarski had my hypothesis tested. Shortly after Jana was bitten, the Commander ordered one of his subordinates to gather a survivor they had been keeping close tabs on." She regarded me with a level stare, a sign for me not to interrupt her. "They had him re-bitten by an infected, and they kept a close 24 hour watch on him, but there were no further signs of infection."

"What do you mean when you say 're-bitten'?" I asked suspiciously, leaning over threateningly.

"Zoey this isn't the time for impulsive and moralistic action. They forced him to be bitten. We needed the answers, and that was the quickest way to obtain them."

"Dora," I muttered harshly, "no matter how many wrong deeds I've pulled in my lifetime, I never would have forced someone into such action."

"I understand that–"

"No, you don't!" I realised I had almost been shouting, and to prevent Jana from coming out from her bedroom, I quietened my voice, though the ferocity was still behind it. "We already had someone who had been _accidently _bitten. There would have been no harm in waiting for her to show signs."

"These orders were a part of the military, Zoey. I had no say in it." She paused for a moment, though her sight never left mine. She lowered her voice. "You _know_ how the military conducts their actions. There is always signs of corruption within them."

I sighed, and leant back to release my breath and the troubles that had suddenly swirled within me. "Yeah, I know. It still sucks to feel like I'm a part of it all."

"You are. You're a huge part of it, and your role is even more significant." She reached her hand out and placed it over mine. "But the deeds you're conducting are _good. _Your morality would never lower toward the military's. The Commander knows that, which is why he kept this from you."

"But you didn't. You came right out and told me."

"I knew you would have wanted to know. I feel you deserved to know."

Her attitude surprised me a little. "Thank you." I said, taken aback.

She smiled, and pulled away from me, fixing me with a steady gaze. "No more worrying, Jana will be perfectly fine. I'll continue giving her medication for the pain, but apart from that, she will never show signs of infection."

A huge smile broke out across my face. "That's so great to hear. You have no idea how relieved I am."

Her smile brightened, and then slowly faded once she stepped out of her chair. "Don't mind my forwardness, but have you considered taking the cure?"

I swallowed; shocked that she'd ask me such a question. She'd caught me off guard, and her words left my skin crawling with goose bumps. "You think I need it." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"I know you're not infected, but you have your unique signs. I also noticed…"

She didn't have to finish her sentence. We were both aware of what she was talking about.

"You moved so fast. I've never seen a human move like that."

I leapt from my seat and pushed it back underneath the desk roughly. "I've played my fair share of contact sports. It's just a habit." I forced a gruesome smile and began to leave the room.

"I don't want to seem forward, Zoey. I'm just trying to help you."

"I don't need it!" My voice was harsher than I intended it to be. "I'm fine. Just leave it." I turned my back on her, and slammed the double doors behind me, afraid that if I had stayed a moment longer, my fury would have unleashed and I would have her blood on my hands.

* * *

It's late. I know.

I've been playing too much Left 4 Dead. Cut me some slack. XD Kickin' too much zombie ass trying to get my final achievement!

I'll try posting more often, work and study get in the way but I love writing and I'm willing to work on it as much as I can. I really want this story finished!

Hope you have enjoyed, I have missed you all dearly.


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